Top 10 Countries With the Largest Desert Areas in the World

Deserts make up around one-third of the earth's total land area, including continents and influencing the ecosystems, climate, and culture of numerous nations. Deserts offer some of the most severe and intriguing environments on Earth, from the freezing Gobi in Asia to the huge Sahara in Africa.

The World Atlas of Desertification (WAD) estimates that over 40% of Earth's total area is made up of larger drylands, while 6.6% is made up of deserts, which are hyper-arid regions with little rainfall. According to ecological classification and satellite mapping, the nations that have the biggest areas of real desert  are listed below:

Algeria (1.5 million sq km)

Over 80% of Algeria is covered by the Sahara Desert, which covers most of the area in the region. With more than 1.5 million square kilometers of arid territory, Algeria has the largest desert region in the world. The desert in Algeria includes granite plateaus, seasonal salt flats, and sand dunes in the Grand Erg Oriental. People have lived in desert cities like Tamanrasset and the oases of the M'zab Valley for generations, despite the harsh climate.

Saudi Arabia (1.3 million sq km)

Saudi Arabia's terrain consists mostly of the Arabian Desert, which covers around 95% of the country. This includes the world's largest unbroken sand desert, known as the "Empty Quarter" or Rub' al Khali. The arid regions of Saudi Arabia, which comprise about 1.3 million square kilometers of desert, are distinguished by expansive dune fields, gravel plains, and rocky cliffs. These areas, which are currently the focus of significant investments in solar and wind energy, are crucial in shaping the nation's Bedouin culture.

Libya (1.3 million sq km)

Libya consists almost of desert, with the Sahara making up about 90% of its total landmass. Some areas of the Libyan Desert, which is a part of the Sahara, experience decades without rain, making it one of the driest locations on the planet. There are about 1.2 million square kilometers of desert in the nation. Despite the harsh living conditions, the Acacus Mountains' prehistoric rock art and cave paintings show a history of life and migration across these dry regions.

Australia (1 million sq km)

Together, Australia's desert regions, including the Great Victoria, Simpson, and Gibson Deserts, cover over 1.0 million square kilometers, or 18% of the country. These expansive regions are part of the Red Centre, which includes the Simpson Desert, and are together referred to as the Outback. In contrast to the traditional dune-filled Saharan deserts, these are red dirt plains with scant shrublands. Despite their dryness, they are biologically active, supporting lizards, marsupials, and wildflowers that blossom following infrequent downpours.

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Top 10 Countries with the Most Desert Area

Here are some countries with the largest desert areas in the world:

Sudan (800,000 sq km)

With more than 800,000 square kilometers of desert inside its borders, Sudan shares a large chunk of the central Sahara. Ancient trade routes, gravel plains, and volcanic areas delineate the northern Bayuda and Nubian deserts. Along the edges of the desert, agriculture and towns have historically survived despite the aridity thanks to seasonal wadis and the area's closeness to the Nile. However, resource extraction and ongoing climate stresses pose a threat to the fragile ecological equilibrium.

China (700,000 sq km)

China is frequently linked to mountains and megacities, but it also contains two significant deserts: the Taklamakan and the Gobi. They comprise more than 700,000 square kilometers of desert land. Xinjiang's Taklamakan is one of the world's most hostile sand deserts, while Mongolia's Gobi Desert is a frigid desert with wind-swept basins and gravel plains.

Niger (700,000 sq km)

Niger's desert region, which makes up around two-thirds of the country's geographical area, is spread across more than 700,000 square kilometers deep within the Sahara. One of the most recognizable areas of the Sahara is the Ténéré Desert in eastern Niger, which is characterized by scant vegetation, wind-shaped rock formations, and sand seas.

Mongolia (500,000 sq km)

In contrast to traditional sandy stretches, the Gobi Desert is a vast, frigid desert that occupies the southern third of Mongolia. This area is more than 500,000 square kilometers and is dominated by dry basins, rocky outcrops, and arid steppes. Despite its harshness, the Gobi is an important natural site that is home to species such as the snow leopard and Bactrian camel.

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United States (500,000 sq km)

Despite not being frequently linked to expansive deserts, the United States is home to a number of sizable arid regions, including the Great Basin, Sonoran, Mojave, and Chihuahuan deserts, which collectively cover more than 500,000 square kilometers. The habitats found in these incredibly varied North American deserts range from high plateaus and alkali plains to saguaro cactus patches and Joshua tree forests. The majority of US desert territory is found in southwestern states, including Arizona, Nevada, California, New Mexico, and Utah.

Iran (300,000 sq km)

The desert regions of Dasht-e Kavir (Great Salt Desert) and Dasht-e Lut, which have some of the highest recorded land temperatures on Earth, make up around one-third of Iran. These deserts span more than 300,000 square kilometers. Due to severe wind erosion, the terrain is a combination of bare rock, dunes, and salt flats.

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