The largest desert and one of the hottest is the Sahara. The Sahara encompasses more than 3,500,000 square miles, which includes only around 80,000 square miles of semi-fertile land.
The Sahara is located in north Africa and extends from the Atlantic Ocean through Egypt. The hottest known temperature ever recorded was 136 degrees F in the Sahara.
One of the largest deserts in the world, the Gobi Desert encompasses parts of northern China and extends through southern Mongolia. It is surrounded by the Altai mountains and the Tibetan Plateau. It encompasses roughly 500,000 square miles and temperatures range from 77 to 119 degrees F.
The Kalahari Desert makes up an arid and sandy region occupying the southern half of Africa. The desert covers roughly 350,000 square miles and extends from Botswana and Namibia south to South Africa. It normally receives between 3 to 7 inches of rain per year and temperatures range from 68 degrees F at night to 113 in the day during summer.
The largest desert in Australia is the Great Victoria Desert. Located in southwestern Australia, the Great Victoria Desert occupies roughly 163,000 square miles. First crossed by explorer Ernest Giles in 1875, the desert can reach temperatures of 105 degrees F, but is also prone to frosts at night.
The Mojave Desert is located in parts of California, Nevada and Arizona. Several parks are in the Mojave, including Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area and Death Valley National Park. The Death Valley area within the Mojave regularly reaches temperatures above 120 degrees F.
