Major Deserts of the World: A Continent-by-Continent Guide

Deserts cover roughly one-third of Earth's land surface, and they're found on every continent except Europe. (Antarctica is technically a polar desert, though it's often excluded from "hot desert" lists.) Here's a rundown of the world's major deserts by region:

Africa

• Sahara Desert – The world's largest hot desert, spanning 3.6 million square miles across North Africa.
• Kalahari Desert – A semi-arid sandy savanna covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa.
• Namib Desert – A coastal desert along southwestern Africa, famous for its towering dunes and unique fog-dependent ecosystems.

Asia

• Gobi Desert – A cold winter desert straddling northern China and southern Mongolia, known for its extreme temperature swings.
• Taklamakan Desert – China's largest desert, situated in the Xinjiang region, surrounded by mountain ranges.
• Thar Desert – Also called the Great Indian Desert, straddling the India-Pakistan border.

Australia

• Great Sandy Desert – Western Australia's vast expanse of red sand dunes and spinifex grass.
• Great Victoria Desert – Australia's largest desert, spanning Western and South Australia.
• Simpson Desert – Famous for its parallel red sand dunes, the world's longest parallel dune system.

North America

• Sonoran Desert – Covers parts of Arizona, California, and Mexico; home to the iconic saguaro cactus.
• Mojave Desert – Includes Death Valley, the hottest and lowest point in North America.
• Death Valley – A desert valley within the Mojave, holding the record for highest air temperature on Earth (134°F / 56.7°C).

South America

• Atacama Desert – The driest non-polar desert on Earth, stretching along Chile's Pacific coast.

Each desert has its own climate drivers, landscapes, and specially adapted life forms—making them far more than just "empty wastelands."