List of deserts by area

This is a list of deserts in the world by area. It includes all deserts with an area greater than 50,000 square kilometres (19,300 sq mi).

The List

Rank Name Type Image Area
(km²)		 Area
(sq mi)		 Location
1 Antarctic Desert Polar 13,800,000 13,829,430[1] 05,340,000 5,339,573 Antarctica
2 Arctic Polar 13,700,000 13,726,937[2] 5,300,000 Alaska (United States), Canada, Finland, Greenland (Denmark), Iceland, Norway, Russia and Sweden
3 Sahara Subtropical 09,100,000 9,100,000+[3] 03,320,000 3,320,000+ Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia and Western Sahara
4 Arabian Desert Subtropical 02,331,000 2,330,000[4] 00,900,000 900,000 Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen
5 Gobi Desert Cold Winter 01,300,000 1,300,000[3] 00,500,000 500,000 Mongolia and China
6 Kalahari Desert Subtropical 00,900,000 900,000 00,360,000 360,000 Angola, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa
7 Patagonian Desert Cold Winter 00,673,000 670,000[3] 00,260,000 260,000 Argentina and Chile
8 Great Victoria Desert Subtropical 00,647,000 647,000[2] 00,250,000 250,000 Australia
9 Syrian Desert Subtropical 00,520,000 520,000[2] 00,200,000 200,000 Syria, Jordan and Iraq
10 Great Basin Desert Cold Winter 00,492,000 492,000[2] 00,190,000 190,000 United States
11 Chihuahuan Desert Subtropical 00,450,000 450,000[2] 00,175,000 175,000 Mexico and United States
12 Great Sandy Desert Subtropical 00,400,000 400,000[2] 00,150,000 150,000 Australia
13 Karakum Desert Cold Winter 00,350,000 350,000[2] 00,135,000 135,000 Turkmenistan
14 Colorado Plateau Cold Winter 00,337,000 337,000[2] 00,130,000 130,000 United States
15 Sonoran Desert Subtropical 00,310,000 310,000[2] 00,120,000 120,000 Mexico and United States
16 Kyzyl Kum Cold Winter 00,300,000 300,000[2] 00,115,000 115,000 Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
17 Taklamakan Desert Cold Winter 00,270,000 270,000[3] 00,105,000 105,000 China
18 Thar Desert Subtropical 00,200,000 200,000[5] 00,077,000 77,000 India and Pakistan
19 Gibson Desert Subtropical 00,155,000 155,000 00,060,000 60,000 Australia
20 Simpson Desert Subtropical 00,145,000 145,000[2] 00,056,000 56,000 Australia
21 Atacama Desert Cool Coastal 00,140,000 140,000[2] 00,054,000 54,000 Chile and Peru
22 Namib Desert Cool Coastal 00,081,000 81,000[2] 00,031,000 31,000 Angola and Namibia
23 Dasht-e Kavir Cold Winter 00,077,000 77,000[6] 00,030,000 30,000 Iran
24 Mojave Desert Subtropical 00,065,000 65,000 00,025,000 25,000 United States
25 Dasht-e Lut Cold Winter 00,052,000 52,000[6] 00,020,000 20,000 Iran

See also

References

  1. ^ Ward, Paul (2001). Antarctica Fact File/
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Largest Desert in the World". http://geology.com/records/largest-desert.shtml. Retrieved 2011-12-27. 
  3. ^ a b c d "Planet Earth - Basic Facts and Extremes". http://www.1world2travel.com/print.php?articleID=2830. Retrieved 2007-10-06. 
  4. ^ "Arabian Desert". http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9110527/Arabian-Desert. Retrieved 2007-12-28. 
  5. ^ Thar Desert - Britannica Online Encyclopedia
  6. ^ a b Wright, John W. (ed.); Editors and reporters of The New York Times (2006). The New York Times Almanac (2007 ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books. p. 456. ISBN 0-14-303820-6.