The 10 Largest Deserts in the World

Most people think of hot, endless seas of sand and dry earth when they think of deserts. While this is certainly the case for some deserts, many of the world's largest do not fit this description at all. So, what makes a desert a desert? Rain, not sand or heat, is the determining factor in what makes an area a desert. Deserts can be found on every continent, with the size and conditions of these deserts varying greatly. In this article, we will explore 10 of the world's largest deserts, from smallest to largest. 

10. Great Basin Desert

The Great Basin, which covers most of Nevada and Utah, is one of North America's "Big Four" deserts and covers a massive 0.19 million square miles. Located north of the smaller Mojave Desert, the Great Basin is semiarid, meaning it has long, dry summers but receives a fair amount of moisture in the winter. This usually comes in the form of snow for the Great Basin Desert.

9. Syrian Desert

While only slightly larger than the Great Basin, the Syrian Desert, also known as the Jordanian Steppe, is the ninth-largest desert in the world. It covers multiple Middle Eastern countries, including Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. The Syrian Desert is subtropical with a barren landscape and extremely high temperatures, making it difficult to sustain life.

8. Kalahari Desert

The Kalahari is a subtropical desert in southern Africa spanning more than 0.22 million square miles, including parts of Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa. Considered to be a semi-desert due to the prevalence of rain (it can receive up to 20 inches during wet years — 10 more than accepted to be considered a desert), the Kalahari is home to a range of wildlife including meerkats, hyenas, and wildebeest.

7. Great Victoria Desert

Located in Australia, the Great Victoria is a subtropical desert and the seventh-largest desert in the world, measuring 0.25 million square miles. Known for its harsh terrain, summer temperatures can rise to 104°F, with winters being cooler but still hot. Great Victoria receives an average of 8-10 inches of rain annually.

6. Patagonian Desert

The sixth largest desert in the world is the Patagonian Desert, located in Argentina and measuring approximately 0.26 million square miles. Also known as the Patagonian Steppe, frost covers the ground most of the winter season, but snow is rare due to the region's lack of moisture.

A cliff formation in the Gobi Desert.

5. Gobi Desert

Spanning parts of Mongolia and China, the Gobi Desert is the fifth largest in the world and measures approximately 0.5 million square miles. Summer and winter temperatures in the Gobi tend to be extreme, and moisture is virtually nonexistent due to the nearby Himalayas, which block this desert from rainy weather.

4. Arabian Desert

The Arabian Desert is the world's second-largest subtropical desert, covering most of the Arabian Peninsula. It's about twice as big as the Gobi, measuring 1.0 million square miles, and is rich in natural resources such as oil and sulfur. Summers in the Arabian Desert are especially brutal, with temperatures reaching over 120°F during the day and dropping drastically at night.

3. Sahara Desert

Covering a massive 3.5 million square miles, the Sahara is the largest subtropical desert in the world and spans nearly a third of the content of Africa. Known for its scorching temperatures and steep dunes, some reaching highs of over 600 ft., the Sahara is home to numerous desert animals despite the harsh conditions.

2. Arctic Desert

The second largest desert in the world and the first polar desert on our list, the Arctic Desert measures a whopping 5.4 million square miles and spans multiple countries and continents, from Canada and Russia to Greenland. While it may not be your typical desert, the Arctic Desert receives only 6-10 inches of rain a year, which qualifies it as a desert.

1. Antarctic Polar Desert

The largest desert in the world, measuring 5.5 million square miles, is the Antarctic Polar Desert. Unlike the other deserts on our list, this desert covers the entire continent — 98% of which is permanently covered in ice. While it is considered a desert due to the annual rainfall — less than half an inch per year — some experts believe parts of this massive desert haven't seen rain in 14 million years. The Antarctic Polar Desert is known for its frigid temperatures and icy landscape.

From the icy expanses of Antarctica to the scorching sands of the Sahara, the landscapes of the world's largest deserts are as varied as they are vast.

References: The 10 Largest Deserts In The World | 10 Largest Deserts in the World