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GEOGRAPHY
Physical - Topography
Largest Deserts by Area
This list features the largest deserts on Planet Earth by land area.
RANK | DESERT | AREA | TYPE |
1 | Antarctic | 14.2 million km² (5.5 million mi²) | Polar |
2 | Arctic | 13.9 million km² (5.4 million mi²) | Polar |
3 | Sahara | 9.0 million km² (3.5 million mi²) | Subtropical |
4 | Arabian | 2.6 million km² (1.0 million mi²) | Subtropical |
5 | Gobi | 1.3 million km² (0.5 million mi²) | Cold winter |
6 | Patagonian | 0.67 million km² (0.26 million mi²) | Cold winter |
7 | Great Victoria | 0.65 million km² (0.25 million mi²) | Subtropical |
8 | Kalahari | 0.56 million km² (0.22 million mi²) | Subtropical |
9 | Great Basin | 0.49 million km² (0.19 million mi²) | Cold winter |
10 | Syrian | 0.49 million km² (0.19 million mi²) | Subtropical |
References
WorldAtlas. (n.d.). The 10 Largest Deserts in the World. Available at: https://www.worldatlas.com/geography/the-10-largest-deserts-in-the-world.html (Accessed: 6 July 2025).
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