List of deserts by area

This article provides a list of deserts ranked by the total area that they cover on Earth. Only deserts greater than are included in this ranking.

Rank Name Type Map Area(km2) Area(sq mi) Location Countries 1 Antarctic Desert Polar ice and tundra Antarctica N/A 2 Arctic Desert Polar ice and tundra Northern AmericaNorthern EuropeEastern Europe Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut), Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway (Svalbard and Jan Mayen), Russia (Siberia), Sweden, and the United States (Alaska) 3 Sahara Desert Subtropical Northern AfricaWestern AfricaMiddle Africa Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara 4 Arabian Desert Subtropical Western AsiaNorthern Africa Egypt (Sinai Peninsula), Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen 5 Great Australian Desert Subtropical Areas of Australian and territory deserts by Geoscience Australia Australasia Australia 6 Gobi Desert Cold winter Eastern Asia China and Mongolia 7 Kalahari Desert Subtropical Southern Africa Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa 8 Patagonian Desert Cold winter South America Argentina and Chile 9 Syrian Desert Subtropical Western Asia Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria 10 Great Basin Desert Cold winter Northern America United States (Nevada, Utah, California, and Idaho) 11 Chihuahuan Desert Subtropical Central AmericaNorthern America Mexico and the United States 12 Karakum Desert Cold winter Central Asia Turkmenistan – Great Victoria Desert Subtropical Australasia Australia 13 Colorado Plateau Cold winter Northern America United States 14 Taklamakan Desert Cold winter Eastern Asia China 15 Sonoran Desert Subtropical Central AmericaNorthern America Mexico and the United States 16 Kyzylkum Desert Cold winter Central Asia Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – Great Sandy Desert Subtropical Australasia Australia 17 Thar Desert Subtropical Southern Asia India and Pakistan 18 Ogaden Desert Tropical The Deserts of Africa Eastern Africa Ethiopia, Somalia, and Somaliland 19 Ustyurt Plateau Cold winter Central Asia Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – Tanami Desert Subtropical Australasia Australia – Simpson Desert Subtropical Australasia Australia – Gibson Desert Subtropical Australasia Australia 20 Margo Desert Subtropical Southern Asia Afghanistan 21 Registan Desert Subtropical Southern Asia Afghanistan 22 Atacama Desert Mild coastal South America Chile and Peru 23 Danakil Desert Tropical The Nine Deserts In Africa Eastern Africa Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia 24 Mojave Desert Subtropical Northern America United States – Little Sandy Desert Subtropical Australasia Australia 25 Chalbi Desert Tropical Eastern Africa Kenya 26 Columbia Basin Cold winter Northern America Canada and the United States 27 Namib Desert Cool coastal Middle AfricaSouthern Africa Angola, Namibia, and South Africa – Strzelecki Desert Subtropical Australasia Australia 28 Great Salt Desert Subtropical Southern Asia Iran 29 Ferlo Desert Tropical/subtropical Western Africa Senegal 30 Ladakh Cold winter Southern Asia India 31 Lut Desert Subtropical Southern Asia Iran

See also List of deserts (all deserts and pseudo-deserts by continent) Desertification Polar desert United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Desert greening

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