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Deserts of the world

165 major deserts worldwide, ranked by area — from the Sahara to the Gobi. Data from Wikidata (CC0).

  1. SaharaAlgeria, Chad, Egypt 9,200,000 km²
  2. Gobi DesertMongolia, People's Republic of China 2,354,460 km²
  3. Arabian DesertIraq, Jordan, Oman 2,330,000 km²
  4. Libyan DesertEgypt, Libya, Sudan 1,100,000 km²
  5. Kalahari DesertAngola, Botswana, Namibia 930,000 km²
  6. Rub' al KhaliOman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates 680,000 km²
  7. Kazakh semi-desertKazakhstan 678,871 km²
  8. Central Asian northern desertKazakhstan, Uzbekistan 663,900 km²
  9. Syrian DesertIraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia 518,000 km²
  10. Karakum DesertTurkmenistan 400,000 km²
  11. Nubian DesertSudan 400,000 km²
  12. Ténéré desertNiger 400,000 km²
  13. Chihuahuan DesertMexico, United States 362,600 km²
  14. Great Victoria DesertAustralia 348,750 km²
  15. TaklamakanPeople's Republic of China 337,000 km²
  16. Sonoran DesertMexico, United States 310,800 km²
  17. Kyzyl KumKazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan 298,000 km²
  18. Great Sandy DesertAustralia 284,993 km²
  19. Thar DesertIndia, Pakistan 200,000 km²
  20. Tanami DesertAustralia 184,500 km²
  21. Atacama DesertChile 181,300 km²
  22. Simpson DesertAustralia 176,500 km²
  23. Iraqi DesertIraq 168,000 km²
  24. Gibson DesertAustralia 155,000 km²
  25. Dasht-e MargoAfghanistan 150,000 km²
  26. Danakil DesertDjibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia 136,956 km²
  27. Mojave DesertUnited States 124,000 km²
  28. Little Sandy DesertAustralia 111,500 km²
  29. NamibNamibia 81,000 km²
  30. Strzelecki DesertAustralia 80,250 km²
  31. Grand Erg OccidentalAlgeria 75,000 km²
  32. Sinai PeninsulaEgypt 60,000 km²
  33. Central Mexican matorralMexico 59,490 km²
  34. Murzuq DesertLibya 58,000 km²
  35. KaokoveldAngola, Namibia 45,700 km²
  36. Aral KarakumKazakhstan 40,000 km²
  37. Harrat al-ShamIsrael, Jordan, Saudi Arabia 40,000 km²
  38. AralkumKazakhstan, Uzbekistan 38,000 km²
  39. Tengger DesertPeople's Republic of China 36,700 km²
  40. Sturt Stony DesertAustralia 29,750 km²
  41. Cholistan DesertPakistan 26,300 km²
  42. Gulf of California Xeric ScrubMexico 23,630 km²
  43. Indus Valley desertPakistan 19,540 km²
  44. Tirari DesertAustralia 15,250 km²
  45. NegevIsrael 13,000 km²
  46. TaukumKazakhstan 10,000 km²
  47. Médanos de Coro National ParkVenezuela 9,128 km²
  48. Death ValleyUnited States 7,770 km²
  49. Amargosa DesertUnited States 6,734 km²
  50. Erg TiffernineAlgeria 4,800 km²
  51. Black Rock DesertUnited States 2,590 km²
  52. Kumtag ShamoPeople's Republic of China 2,500 km²
  53. Pedirka DesertAustralia 1,250 km²
  54. ZhuankumKazakhstan 1,200 km²
  55. Alvord DesertUnited States 220 km²
  56. Erg GuidiAlgeria 163 km²
  57. Tabernas DesertSpain 114 km²
  58. Erg TanezzouftLibya 100 km²
  59. Błędów DesertPoland 32 km²
  60. Colorado DesertMexico, United States 28 km²
  61. Lieberose DesertGermany 5 km²
  62. Starczynów DesertPoland 5 km²
  63. Carcross DesertCanada 3 km²
  64. Al Khatim DesertUnited Arab Emirates
  65. Al-HammadIraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia
  66. Algerian DesertAlgeria
  67. Antelope ValleyUnited States
  68. ArabahIsrael, Jordan
  69. Arabia DesertaAncient Rome
  70. Arctic desertNorway, Russia
  71. Arid DiagonalPeru
  72. Badain Jaran DesertPeople's Republic of China
  73. Baja California DesertMexico
  74. Betpak-DalaKazakhstan
  75. Black DesertEgypt
  76. Bogurar doi
  77. Bolsón de MapimíMexico
  78. Calansho DesertLibya
  79. Carson DesertUnited States
  80. Chalbi DesertKenya
  81. Channeled ScablandsUnited States
  82. Chara SandsRussia
  83. Coastal desert of PeruChile, Peru
  84. Delamar FlatUnited States
  85. Desert Discovery CenterUnited States
  86. Desert of MaineUnited States
  87. Desert of Paran
  88. Duhaymat al BiddUnited Arab Emirates
  89. Eastern DesertEgypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia
  90. El DjoufMauritania
  91. Erg AdmerAlgeria
  92. Escalante DesertUnited States
  93. Golodnaya SteppeUzbekistan
  94. Goravan State Nature ReservationArmenia
  95. Gran Desierto de AltarMexico
  96. Great American DesertMexico
  97. Great Basin DesertUnited States
  98. Great Salt Lake DesertUnited States
  99. Gurbantünggüt DesertPeople's Republic of China
  100. High DesertUnited States
  101. Jornada del MuertoUnited States
  102. Judaean DesertIsrael, Palestine
  103. KachhoPakistan
  104. Katpana DesertPakistan
  105. Kebira CraterEgypt, Libya
  106. Kharan DesertPakistan
  107. Khongoryn ElsMongolia
  108. Khuzestan PlainIran
  109. Kozłowska DesertPoland
  110. Kubuqi DesertPeople's Republic of China
  111. Kumtag DesertPeople's Republic of China
  112. La Guajira DesertColombia, Venezuela
  113. Lechuguilla DesertUnited States
  114. Lompoul desertSenegal
  115. Lop DesertPeople's Republic of China
  116. Low Desert
  117. Maspalomas DunesSpain
  118. Monegros DesertSpain
  119. Monte DesertArgentina
  120. Moçâmedes DesertAngola
  121. Mu Us DesertPeople's Republic of China
  122. Muyunkum DesertKazakhstan
  123. Ninety Mile DesertAustralia
  124. Nitrian DesertEgypt
  125. North Saharan steppe and woodlandsLibya
  126. Nyiri Desert
  127. Ordos DesertPeople's Republic of China
  128. Owyhee DesertUnited States
  129. Painted DesertUnited States
  130. Piute ValleyUnited States
  131. Ramlat al-Sab`ataynYemen
  132. Red DesertUnited States
  133. Registan DesertAfghanistan
  134. Rig-e JennIran
  135. Ryn DesertKazakhstan, Russia, Russian Empire
  136. SakhirBahrain
  137. Salvador Dalí DesertBolivia
  138. San Lucan xeric scrubMexico
  139. Sarfaranga DesertPakistan
  140. Saryesik-Atyrau DesertKazakhstan
  141. SayhadSaudi Arabia, Yemen
  142. Sechura DesertPeru
  143. Sevier DesertUnited States
  144. Siedlec DesertPoland
  145. Sinai DesertEgypt
  146. Smoke Creek DesertUnited States
  147. SprengisandurIceland
  148. Sunset CountryAustralia
  149. TalakNiger
  150. Tamaulipan mezquitalMexico, United States
  151. TanezrouftAlgeria
  152. Tehuacán Valley matorralMexico
  153. ThalPakistan
  154. Tirari-Sturt stony desertAustralia
  155. Tonopah DesertUnited States
  156. Tule DesertUnited States
  157. Wahiba SandsOman
  158. Western DesertEgypt
  159. Western Desert cultural blocAustralia
  160. Y P DesertUnited States
  161. Yuha DesertUnited States
  162. Yuma DesertMexico, United States
  163. Zin Desert
  164. ad-Dahna DesertSaudi Arabia
  165. rangeland