Which is the largest desert in the world? The answer will surprise you, because many think that the Sahara is the largest desert that exists on Earth. However, Antarctica is the largest desert on our planet.
People have the belief that deserts must be sandy and hot. But, as we are going to discover you in this post not all deserts have dunes, sand and camels. Within the category of deserts, the polar and cold deserts that exist in the world should be included.
Why is Antarctica a desert?
It may sound surprising, but the deserts of the arctic and antarctic zone are the largest that exist on our planet.
Not only hot deserts should be taken into consideration, since The Sahara could indeed be the largest desert in the world if we only take the characteristics of this area as the main data.
La desert definition is the following: it is an uninhabited place where there are no people, it is a territory that can be sandy or stony and there is no vegetation or it is very scarce.
Therefore, both Antarctica and the Sahara can fall into this category, since in both places life is impossible due to the lack of vegetation, water and special weather conditions, which are extreme in both cases.
What are the largest deserts in area?
Then we will make a list for you where you can get to know the largest desert in the world in extension.
Antarctic Polar Desert
With an area of 14.000.000 square kilometers It is the largest desert in the world. This is due to the fact that rainfall is scarce and normally, it is in the form of snow. Also, very thick layers of ice are formed which means that the snow can never melt.
the arctic desert
This is the second largest desert in the world. It is located at the north pole of the earth and is perhaps the best known. The arctic region is made up of several islands. Many of the region's islands are inhabited by people and animals that live in extreme conditions during the winter months.
the Sahara
This is the third largest desert in the world and the first hot on this list. It is one of the largest deserts on the African continent and stretches from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. It occupies almost the territory of eleven African countries and is also the largest sand desert that exists on our planet. Although, the Arabian desert also has a unique peculiarity, which we will tell you about later.
victory desert
In Australia we can find another desert of sandy and warm land. The Victoria desert covers an area of 348.750 square kilometers. It occupies the western part of the country and in the eastern part it extends to the south of the big island. Did you know?
For this reason, in Australia you can see that the main cities are located on the coast and there are hardly any cities in the interior of the country.
arabian desert
This great desert occupies the Arabian Peninsula with a total area of 2.330.000 square kilometers. From Yemen to the Persian Gulf including other countries such as Jordan, Iraq or Oman, this desert is the main one that can be found in the Middle East. Also, It is the largest uninterrupted expanse of desert sand that exists on Earth in front of the Sahara.
What other deserts exist in the world?
After knowing the largest deserts that exist on Earth, we could not miss the opportunity to talk about other less extensive deserts, but also known as Patagonia, the Kalahari and the Gobi desert.
Patagonian desert
It is the largest desert that can be found in South America. It is located within Argentina and limits with Chile. This desert is incredible, because you can find river valleys, canyons and some kind of animals that are characteristic of this region such as the petiso rhea or the desert iguana.
Being close to the Andes, in this area it is almost impossible for vegetation to exist, since due to the height of the Andes mountains it does not allow moisture to pass through and this makes it impossible for vegetation to exist.
Kalahari desert
This desert is located on the african continent and has an area of 930.000 square kilometers. Countries like Botswana, Namibia or South Africa border this small African desert.
Its name comes from the Tsawano and means "zone of great thirst". One of the phenomena that you cannot miss in this desert if you pass through there is the southern spring. A few small drops of water can cause thousands of unique wild flowers and plants to bloom, creating a true spectacle of nature.
Gobi desert
Between Mongolia and China we find the Gobi desert. It has a fairly rich fauna compared to other deserts and its extension is 1.300.000 square kilometers.
The cliffs and dunes of the Gobi desert are unique. You cannot miss the fossil remains that can be found in this place if you are a paleontologist or curious. There are even excavations of dinosaur eggs.
What is the smallest desert in the world?
Less than 600 meters wide The smallest desert in the world is the Carcross which is located in Canada. It is only about 2,5 square kilometers and has a system of dunes that is characteristic of the North American region. It is a curious fact that in a country with a cold climate such as Canada, there can be a desert.
Would you visit any of these deserts?