Deserts of the world
21 of the great deserts: how big they are, which countries they cover and where they are on the map.
Swipe the map sideways to see all of it.
| # | Desert | Area | Countries include |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sahara Desert | about 9.2 million km² (3.6 million sq mi) | Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia |
| 2 | Arabian Desert | about 2.3 million km² (900,000 sq mi) | Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen |
| 3 | Gobi Desert | about 1.3 million km² (500,000 sq mi) | China, Mongolia |
| 4 | Kalahari Desert | about 900,000 km² (347,000 sq mi) | Botswana, Namibia, South Africa |
| 5 | Patagonian Desert | about 673,000 km² (260,000 sq mi) | Argentina |
| 6 | Syrian Desert | about 500,000 km² (193,000 sq mi) | Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria |
| 7 | Chihuahuan Desert | about 453,000 km² (175,000 sq mi) | Mexico |
| 8 | Karakum Desert | about 350,000 km² (135,000 sq mi) | Turkmenistan |
| 9 | Great Victoria Desert | about 349,000 km² (135,000 sq mi) | Australia |
| 10 | Taklamakan Desert | about 337,000 km² (130,000 sq mi) | China |
| 11 | Sonoran Desert | about 311,000 km² (120,000 sq mi) | Mexico |
| 12 | Kyzylkum Desert | about 298,000 km² (115,000 sq mi) | Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan |
| 13 | Great Sandy Desert | about 267,000 km² (103,000 sq mi) | Australia |
| 14 | Thar Desert | about 264,000 km² (102,000 sq mi) | India, Pakistan |
| 15 | Simpson Desert | about 177,000 km² (68,000 sq mi) | Australia |
| 16 | Gibson Desert | about 156,000 km² (60,000 sq mi) | Australia |
| 17 | Atacama Desert | about 140,000 km² (54,000 sq mi) | Chile |
| 18 | Danakil Desert | about 137,000 km² (53,000 sq mi) | Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia |
| 19 | Mojave Desert | about 124,000 km² (48,000 sq mi) | United States |
| 20 | Namib Desert | about 81,000 km² (31,000 sq mi) | Namibia |
| 21 | Lut Desert | about 52,000 km² (20,000 sq mi) | Iran |
What about the polar deserts?
A desert is a place with very little rain or snow, hot or cold. By that definition the largest deserts on Earth are the Antarctic Desert, about 14.2 million km² (5.5 million sq mi), and the Arctic Desert, about 13.9 million km² (5.4 million sq mi). They are not in the list above or in the quiz, because many people count only the deserts outside the polar regions.
Areas, countries and continents from the Wikipedia list of deserts by area (mostly CIA World Factbook figures), checked against Wikidata and each desert's article. Where a desert ends is a matter of definition, so areas are approximate. Countries are listed where both sources agree.