The Largest Deserts in the World
Experiencing the vastness of the desert is a unique experience that everyone should have at least once in their lifetime. In fact, these remote and inhospitable territories, driven by extreme temperatures, sometimes cold and sometimes hot, have become the tourist destination of choice for many travelers looking for a different way to enjoy their vacations, surrounded by tranquility and spaces that invite reflection.
Located from north to south across the planet, deserts occupy over 50 million square kilometers, which is nearly one-quarter of the Earth's surface. In fact, contrary to popular belief, these areas are not solely made up of sand. There are also rocky, polar, steppe, and salt deserts, among others.
If we understand a desert to mean an uninhabited place, not inhabited by humans or very few living beings, we can say that the largest deserts in the world are: Antarctica, the Arctic, the Sahara, the Arabian Desert, and the Australian Desert.
When asked about a desert, the first ones that probably come to mind are those vast arid regions found in Africa, Asia, or Australia. However, what many do not know is that the largest and one of the most impressive deserts in the world is located in Antarctica and covers 13,829,430 km². It has average temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius, with strong winds that blow powdered snow. These climatic characteristics, combined with a rocky ground, permanently covered by ice, mean that plant and animal life is only possible along the coast. Among the birds that can be found are penguins, seagulls, and cormorants.
The Arctic to the north, on the other hand, covers 13,726,937 km² and is considered the second-largest in the world, consisting of large polar deserts that extend across Alaska, Greenland, Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. The scant precipitation freezes due to the low temperatures, creating a permanent white blanket of frozen snow. Life in this region is limited to some bacteria, mosses, and about a dozen species of animals such as sea lions, seagulls, and seals.
Meanwhile, located in the northern strip of the African continent, the Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world and the third in this peculiar list. It has a total area of more than 9 million km² and spans parts of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Western Sahara, Egypt, Mali, Niger, Mauritania, Libya, Chad, and Sudan. Traveling through the endless sand dunes, drinking water in an oasis, gazing at the starry sky, and sleeping in a typical Berber tent are some of its main attractions. However, we must not forget that this area, increasingly popular and touristy, is also one of the harshest places on the planet. During summer days, temperatures can reach 55°C and drop below zero at night in winter.
The fourth largest desert in the world, the Arabian Desert, extends across the nations of Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Iraq, but especially Saudi Arabia. This area covers 2,300,000 km² and includes two major sand regions: Nafud, with mounds up to 120 meters high; and Rub al-Khali, which contains the largest sand desert in the world (650,000 km²). It is noteworthy that humans have inhabited these lands since the Pleistocene era.
Finally, in fifth place in this ranking are the deserts of Australia, arid areas that cover about one-third of the entire country, totaling 1,371,000 km². They are mainly composed of nine large areas, including the Great Victoria Desert, the Great Sandy Desert, and the Gibson Desert. The latter is home to the largest population of Aboriginal people in the country, as well as other points of interest such as the popular rock formation Uluru and Mount Olga.