Let yourself be surprised by the beauty of these landscapes by discovering our selection of the world’s ten greatest deserts.
When we think of the desert, our minds immediately turn to the endless dunes of the great Sahara, its burning sand and almost unbearable heat. We then imagine ourselves lost among the Tuaregs crossing this immensity accompanied by their camels, hoping to find an oasis where fresh water would save us from this stifling climate.
Yet it would be a mistake to think that deserts are made up of nothing more than sandy dunes… Whether ice, rock or salt, there are so many deserts on Earth that they’re impossible to count. Today, Generation Voyage invites you to discover the 10 largest desert areas in the world.
1. Antarctica
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Wim Hoek
With a surface area of 14 million km², Antarctica is THE largest desert in the world. This makes it the fifth largest continent in the world, ahead of Europe and Oceania… That’s a lot of territory!
Its geography and temperatures also make it the coldest, driest and windiest desert on the planet. The almost total absence of precipitation in this area – less than 200 mm of annual rainfall – explains its number 1 position in our ranking of the world’s largest deserts.
- 💡 Did you know? an area of Antarctica – named » The McMurdo Dry Valleys » – hasn’t received any precipitation for around 2 million years!
2. Arctic
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Christopher Wood
The Arctic, in turn, is one of the planet’s largest cold deserts, with a surface area close to that of Antarctica: 13.7 million km²! This region is home to a quasi-permanent anticyclone, which is responsible for a climatic phenomenon involving low rainfall.
Indeed, the Arctic receives less than 250 mm of precipitation per year on average, most of it in the form of snow, which explains why this area is considered a veritable frozen desert!
- 💡 Did you know that, due to the Arctic’s geographical location, the sun never appears in winter?
3. Sahara
Photo credit: Shutterstock – freedom100m
The Sahara Desert covers almost 9 million km², putting it in 3rd place in this ranking. Not only is it the world’s largest sand desert, it’s also one of the most majestic! It stretches over ten countries: from Tunisia to Morocco, viaAlgeria andEgypt, but its borders are not really defined, as it gains several kilometers every year.
Its impressive temperatures, ranging from 20°C in winter to 50°C in summer, explain its low population. Indeed, vast areas of this region are completely empty!
- 💡 Did you know? The sandy desert covers only 20% of the Sahara!
4. Arabian Desert
Photo credit: Shutterstock – WALEEDPD
Stretching from Yemen through Iraq to the borders of Jordan, the Arabian Desert is also a true marvel. At over 2.3 million km², it is the second largest sand desert in the world.
In fact, it’s the largest continuous stretch of sand on Earth, and some of its dunes can reach heights of over 250 metres. Its sand is much more ochre-colored than that of the Sahara, making it one of the planet’s most beautiful landscapes!
- 💡 Did you know? Depending on the season, temperatures can vary by almost 70°C in a single day!
5. Gobi Desert
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Anton Petrus
Fifth in this ranking of the world’s largest deserts, the Gobi Desert is also Asia’s largest continental desert. Stretching from China to Mongolia, it covers more than 1.3 million km².
Although some people imagine the Gobi Desert as a vast expanse of sand, this is not the case: only 5% of the desert is covered with sand. The vast majority oscillates between arid steppe, rocks and mountains. In fact, the rare rainfalls that it witnesses sometimes turn it… green!
- 💡 Did you know? Many travelers admit to experiencing a sensation of horizontal vertigo while surveying the Gobi Desert!
6. Kalahari Desert
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Oleg Znamenskiy
Spanning almost 900,000 km² across Botswana, Namibia andSouth Africa, the Kalahari Desert looks like something out of a children’s book. In fact, the term « desert » is a misnomer. In fact, although there are no permanent bodies of water here, it is nonetheless home to a vast array of vegetation.
The Kalahari « desert » is still home to the San people (formerly known as the Bushmen), the original inhabitants of southern Africa.
- 💡 Did you know? « Khalahari » is derived from the Tswana word Kgalagadi or Kalagare, meaning « great thirst » or « place without water » respectively.
7. Patagonia
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Galyna Andrushko
Located in Argentina and Chile, Patagonia covers an area of 787,291 km², more than one and a half times the size of France. Although not a desert in the strict sense of the word, it is nevertheless considered a human desert, due to its small population.
But above all, it is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful regions in the world, endowed with unforgettable landscapes. With thousands of kilometers of mountains along the Andes cordillera, some of its peaks are over 3,000 meters high. Glaciers and lakes make this region one of the most incredible on the planet.
- 💡 Did you know? Patagonia is a land of sheep farming. Some of these sheep feed on more than a hectare each!
8. Syrian desert
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Anton_Ivanov
The Syrian Desert, also known as Chamiyé, ranks 8th in our ranking of the world’s largest deserts, with a surface area of 520,000 km². Rocky, arid and dry, it is one of the most hostile of our selection.
It is also the gateway to the Arabian Desert, 4th in this ranking.
- 💡 Did you know? A few Bedouin tribes still populate this desert, as close as possible to the few oases the region harbors.
9. Great Basin
Photo credit: Shutterstock – Robert Stolting
The Great Basin is a desert in the western United States, home to mountains and high plateaus. Although it may seem very arid and wild, it is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna. It’s even home to Grand Basin National Park.
- 💡 Did you know? The Great Basin covers more than 10% of the U.S. territory, and is the driest part of the country!
10. Chihuahua Desert
Photo credit: Shutterstock – nathaniel gonzales
At around 450,000 km², the Chihuahua Desert is the last desert in our selection! But it is without doubt the richest desert from a biological point of view. It offers sublime natural scenery, made up of an array of colors that are hard to match.
From the southern USA to the Mexican highlands, the desert is home to over 130 mammals, 3,000 plant species and 500 bird species.
- 💡 Did you know? Although considered an arid zone, the Chihuahuan desert is home to 110 species of freshwater fish.