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The 7 Largest Deserts In The World

The 7 Largest Deserts In The World

Sarah Clayton-Lea | | 2 minutes Read
Antarctica Africa Australia

What do you think of when picturing the largest deserts in the world? Huge, empty spaces of hot sand? Well, deserts can actually be hot and cold. With a long history of nomadic lifestyles, these deserts across the globe are truly spectacular. One-third of the Earth’s land surface is desert – aka, little precipitation and a harsh landscape that supports only sparse vegetation and a limited population of people and animals.

From the Sahara in Africa to the freezing cold Antarctic desert, these are the world’s biggest deserts...

What is the Largest Desert in The World?

1. Antarctica is the Largest Desert in the World – 5.5 million square miles

Yep, Antarctica is a desert. When it snows here, the snow doesn’t melt and builds up over many years to make large, thick sheets of ice, called ice sheets. A desert of ice, basically.

2. Sahara is the 2nd Largest Desert in the World – 3.3 million square miles

The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world, famous for its iconic sand dunes. Covering the majority of northern Africa, this desert is about the size of the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii).

3. Arabian is the 3rd Largest Desert in the World- 900,000 square miles

Humans have inhabited the Arabian desert for more than 2.6 million years. A large part of the Arabian Desert lies within Saudi Arabia, with parts also in Oman, Kuwait, Yemen, Iraq and Jordan.

4. Gobi Desert is the 4th Largest Desert in the World – 800,000 square miles

This vast desert in northern China and southern Mongolia is famous for its dunes, mountains and rare animals such as snow leopards and Bactrian camels. As for the name ‘Gobi’? It comes from Mongolian gobi, meaning “waterless place”.

5. Kalahari is the 5th Largest Desert in the World- 360,000 square miles

The Kalahari Desert stretches across eastern and southern Namibia, large parts of Botswana and the north-western area of South Africa. Technically, it receives too much rainfall to still be strictly considered a desert.

largest deserts world

6. Patagonian Desert is the 6th Largest Desert in the World – 260,000 square miles

The largest desert in Argentina, the Patagonian Desert, or Magellanic Steppe, is a cold, winter desert where it rarely rains and the average temperature is just 3°C.

largest deserts world

7. The Great Victoria is the 7th Largest Desert in the World – 250,000 square miles

With red sand dunes, stony plains and dry salt lakes, the Great Victoria desert in Australia is the largest desert in the country. It’s also a a must-visit. It’s a popular spot for 4×4 tours and reptile and bird spotting.

Sarah Clayton-Lea Photo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Co-founder of Big 7 Travel, Sarah created the company through her passion for championing the world's best food and travel experiences. Before her career in digital media, where she previously held roles such as Editor of Food&Wine Ireland, Sarah worked in the hospitality industry in Dublin and New York. Contact [email protected]

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