Great Desert of World

Rank

Name
1 Antarctica

2 Sahara

Type

Image

Cold Winter

Subtropical

3 Arabian Desert

Subtropical

4 Gobi Desert

Cold Winter

5 Kalahari Desert

Subtropical

6 Patagonian Desert

Cold Winter

Area
(km)
14,000,000

9,400,000+

2,330,000[1]

1,300,000

900,000[2]

670,000

Area
Location
(sq mi)
5,400,000 Antarctica

3,320,000+

North Africa (Algeria,

Chad, Egypt, Eritrea,
Libya, Mali,
Mauritania, Morocco,
Niger, Sudan, Tunisia
and Western Sahara)

Western Asia (Iraq,

Jordan, Kuwait, Oman,
900,000 Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
United Arab Emirates
and Yemen)
East Asia (China and
Mongolia)
Southern Africa
(Angola, Botswana,
360,000
Namibia and South
Africa)
500,000

260,000

South America
(Argentina and Chile)

Great Victoria
Desert

Subtropical

647,000[3]

250,000 Australia

8 Syrian Desert

Subtropical

520,000[3]

200,000

9 Great Basin Desert

Cold Winter

492,000[3]

190,000 United States

10 Chihuahuan Desert Subtropical

450,000[3]

175,000

11 Great Sandy Desert Subtropical

400,000[3]

150,000 Australia

12 Karakum Desert

350,000[3]

135,000 Turkmenistan

Cold Winter

Page 1 of 3

Western Asia (Iraq,

Jordan and Syria)

North America (Mexico

and United States)

Great Desert of World

Rank

Name

Type

Image

Area
(km)

Area
(sq mi)

Location

13 Colorado Plateau

Cold Winter

337,000[3]

130,000 United States

14 Sonoran Desert

Subtropical

310,000[3]

120,000

300,000[3]

Central Asia
(Kazakhstan,
115,000
Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan)

North America (Mexico

and United States)

15 Kyzyl Kum

Cold Winter

16 Taklamakan Desert

Cold Winter

17 Thar Desert

Subtropical

200,000[4]

77,000

18 Gibson Desert

Subtropical

156,000[5]

60,000 Australia

19 Simpson Desert

Subtropical

145,000[3]

56,000 Australia

20 Atacama Desert

Cool Coastal

140,000[3]

54,000

21 Mojave Desert

Subtropical

124,000[6][7]

48,000 United States

22 Namib Desert

Cool Coastal

81,000[3]

31,000

23 Dasht-e Kavir

Subtropical

77,000[8]

30,000 Iran

270,000

Page 2 of 3

105,000 China

South Asia (India and

Pakistan)

South America (Chile

and Peru)

Southern Africa
(Angola and Namibia)

Great Desert of World

Rank

Name

24 Dasht-e Lut

Type

Image

Subtropical

Area
(km)

52,000[8]

Page 3 of 3

Area
(sq mi)

20,000 Iran

Location