List of deserts by area
List of the largest deserts in the world by area
This is a list of the largest deserts in the world by area. It includes all deserts above 50,000 km2 (19,300 sq mi).
Rank | Name | Type | Image | Area (km2) | Area (sq mi) | Location[note 1] | Nation(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Antarctic Desert | Polar ice and tundra | 14,200,000,000,000,000 14,200,000[1] | 05,482,651 5,482,651 | Antarctica | N/A | |
2 | Arctic Desert | Polar ice and tundra | 13,900,000 13,900,000[1] | 05,366,820 5,366,820 | Eastern Europe Northern America Northern Asia Northern Europe | Alaska (United States), Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Jan Mayen, Norway, Russia, Svalbard, and Sweden | |
3 | Saharan Desert | Subtropical | 09,200,000 9,200,000[1] | 03,552,140 3,552,140 | Eastern Africa Middle Africa Northern Africa Western Africa | Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, the Niger, the Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara | |
4 | Great Australian Desert | Subtropical | 02,700,000 2,700,000 | 01,042,476 1,042,476 | Australasia | Australia | |
5 | Arabian Desert | Subtropical | 02,330,000 2,330,000[2] | 00,899,618 899,618 | Western Asia | Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen | |
6 | Gobi Desert | Cold winter | 01,295,000 1,295,000[1] | 00,500,002 500,002 | Eastern Asia | China and Mongolia | |
7 | Kalahari Desert | Subtropical | 00,900,000 900,000[3] | 00,347,492 347,492 | Southern Africa | Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa | |
8 | Patagonian Desert | Cold winter | 00,673,000 673,000[1] | 00,259,847 259,847 | South America | Argentina and Chile | |
9 | Syrian Desert | Subtropical | 00,500,000 500,000[4] | 00,193,051 193,051 | Western Asia | Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria | |
10 | Great Basin Desert | Cold winter | 00,492,098 492,098[4] | 00,190,000 190,000 | Northern America | United States | |
11 | Chihuahuan Desert | Subtropical | 00,453,248 453,248[4] | 00,175,000 175,000 | Central America Northern America | Mexico and the United States | |
12 | Karakum Desert | Cold winter | 00,350,000 350,000[4] | 00,135,136 135,136 | Central Asia | Turkmenistan | |
– | Great Victoria Desert[note 2] | Subtropical | 00,348,750 348,750[1] | 00,134,653 134,653 | Australasia | Australia | |
13 | Taklamakan Desert | Cold winter | 00,270,000 337,000 | 00,104,248 130,191 | Eastern Asia | China | |
14 | Colorado Plateau | Cold winter | 00,337,000 336,700[4] | 00,130,116 130,116 | Northern America | United States | |
15 | Sonoran Desert | Subtropical | 00,310,000 310,000[4] | 00,119,692 119,692 | Central America Northern America | Mexico and the United States | |
16 | Kyzylkum Desert | Cold winter | 00,300,000 300,000[4] | 00,115,831 115,831 | Central Asia | Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan | |
17 | Ogaden Desert | Subtropical | 00,256,000 256,000 | 00,098,842 98,842 | Eastern Africa | Ethiopia, Somalia, and Somaliland | |
18 | Thar Desert | Subtropical | 238,254[5] | 00,077,220 77,220 | Southern Asia | India and Pakistan | |
20 | Puntland Desert | Subtropical | 00,200,000 200,000 | 00,077,220 77,220 | Eastern Africa | Somalia | |
20 | Ustyurt Plateau | Temperate | 00,200,000 200,000 | 00,077,220 77,220 | Central Asia | Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan | |
21 | Guban Desert | Subtropical | 00,175,000 175,000 | 00,067,568 67,568 | Eastern Africa | Somalia/Somaliland | |
22 | Namib Desert | Cool coastal | 00,160,000 160,000 | 00,061,776 61,776 | Middle Africa Southern Africa | Angola, Namibia, and South Africa | |
23 | Margo Desert | Subtropical | 00,150,000 150,000 | 00,057,915 57,915 | Southern Asia | Afghanistan | |
24 | Registan Desert | Subtropical | 00,146,000 146,000 | 00,056,371 56,371 | Southern Asia | Afghanistan | |
25 | Atacama Desert | Mild coastal | 00,140,000 140,000[4] | 00,054,054 54,054 | South America | Chile and Peru | |
26 | Danakil Desert | Subtropical | 00,137,000 137,000 | 00,052,896 52,896 | Eastern Africa | Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia | |
27 | Mojave Desert | Subtropical | 00,124,000 124,000[6][7] | 00,047,877 47,877 | Northern America | United States | |
28 | Chalbi Desert | Subtropical | 00,100,000 100,000 | 00,038,610 38,610 | Eastern Africa | Kenya | |
29 | Columbia Basin | Cold winter | 00,083,139 83,139[4] | 00,032,100 32,100 | Northern America | Canada and the United States | |
30 | Kavir Desert | Subtropical | 00,077,000 77,000[8] | 00,029,730 29,730 | Southern Asia | Iran | |
31 | Ferlo Desert | Subtropical | 00,070,000 70,000 | 00,027,027 27,027 | Western Africa | Senegal | |
32 | Ladakh Desert[9] | Cold winter | 00,059,146 59,146 | 00,022,836 22,836 | Southern Asia | India | |
33 | Lut Desert | Subtropical | 00,052,000 52,000[8] | 00,020,077 20,077 | Southern Asia | Iran |
Notes
- ^ As per the United Nations geoscheme.
- ^ A part of the Great Australian Desert.
See also
- Desert
- Desertification
- List of deserts by continent
- Polar desert
- Tundra
- United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Top ten largest (non-polar) deserts". Archived from the original on 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
- ^ "Arabian Desert". Archived from the original on 2007-12-31. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
- ^ Bass, Karen (2009-02-01). "Nature's Great Events:The Okavango Delta, Kalahari Desert" (PDF). press.uchicago.edu. University of Chicago Press. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2012-04-26.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Largest Desert in the World". Archived from the original on 2007-08-17. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
- ^ "Thar Desert | Map, Climate, Vegetation, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. 24 May 2023. Archived from the original on 20 June 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Mapping Perennial Vegetation Cover in the Mojave Desert" (PDF). pubs.usgs.gov. USGS Western Geographic Science Center. 2011-06-01. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
- ^ "Recoverability and Vulnerability of Desert Ecosystems". mojave.usgs.gov. USGS. 2006-03-03. Archived from the original on 2012-05-01. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
- ^ a b Wright, John W., ed. (2006). The New York Times Almanac (2007 ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books. p. 456. ISBN 0-14-303820-6.
- ^ "The Cold Desert – Ladakh". Archived from the original on 2021-10-17. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
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