Principal Deserts of the World

SUBTROPICAL DESERTS

Desert : Sahara
Location : Morocco, Western Sahara, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia
Size : 3.5 million sq. mi.
Topography : 70% gravel plains, sand, and dunes. Contrary to popular belief, the desert is only 30% sand. The world's largest nonpolar desert gets its name from the Arabic word Sahra', meaning desert

Desert : Arabian
Location : Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen
Size : 1 million sq. mi.
Topography : Gravel plains, rocky highlands; one-fourth is the Rub al-Khali (“Empty Quarter”), the world's largest expanse of unbroken sand

Desert : Kalahari
Location : Botswana, South Africa, Namibia
Size : 220,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Sand sheets, longitudinal dunes

Australian Desert

Desert : Gibson
Location : Australia (southern portion of the Western Desert)
Size : 120,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Sandhills, gravel, grass. These three regions of desert are collectively referred to as the Great Western Desert—otherwise known as “the Outback.” Contains Ayers Rock, or Uluru, one of the world's largest monoliths

Desert : Great Sandy
Location : Australia (northern portion of the Western Desert)
Size : 150,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Sandhills, gravel, grass. These three regions of desert are collectively referred to as the Great Western Desert—otherwise known as “the Outback.” Contains Ayers Rock, or Uluru, one of the world's largest monoliths

Desert : Great Victoria
Location : Australia (southernmost portion of the Western Desert)
Size : 250,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Sandhills, gravel, grass. These three regions of desert are collectively referred to as the Great Western Desert—otherwise known as “the Outback.” Contains Ayers Rock, or Uluru, one of the world's largest monoliths

Desert : Simpson and Sturt Stony
Location : Australia (eastern half of the continent)
Size : 56,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Simpson's straight, parallel sand dunes are the longest in the world—up to 125 mi. Encompasses the Stewart Stony Desert, named for the Australian explorer

Desert : Mojave
Location : U.S.: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, California
Size : 54,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Mountain chains, dry alkaline lake beds, calcium carbonate dunes

Desert : Sonoran
Location : U.S.: Arizona, California; Mexico
Size : 120,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Basins and plains bordered by mountain ridges; home to the Saguaro cactus

Desert : Chihuahuan
Location : Mexico; southwestern U.S.
Size : 175,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Shrub desert; largest in North America

Desert : Thar
Location : India, Pakistan
Size : 175,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Rocky sand and sand dunes


COOL COASTAL DESERTS

Desert : Namib
Location : Angola, Namibia, South Africa
Size : 13,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Gravel plains

Desert : Atacama
Location : Chile
Size : 54,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Salt basins, sand, lava; world's driest desert

COLD WINTER DESERTS

Desert : Great Basin
Location : U.S.: Nevada, Oregon, Utah
Size : 190,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Mountain ridges, valleys, 1% sand dunes


Desert : Colorado Plateau
Location : U.S.: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming
Size : 130,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Sedimentary rock, mesas, and plateaus—includes the Grand Canyon and is also called the “Painted Desert” because of the spectacular colors in its rocks and canyons

Desert : Patagonian
Location : Argentina
Size : 260,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Gravel plains, plateaus, basalt sheets


Desert : Kara-Kum
Location : Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan
Size : 135,000 sq. mi.
Topography : 90% gray layered sand—name means “black sand”

Desert : Kyzyl-Kum
Location : Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan
Size : 115,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Sands, rock—name means “red sand”

Desert : Iranian
Location : Iran
Size : 100,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Salt, gravel, rock

Desert : Taklamakan
Location : China
Size : 105,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Sand, dunes, gravel


Desert : Gobi
Location : China, Mongolia
Size : 500,000 sq. mi.
Topography : Stony, sandy soil, steppes (dry grasslands)


POLAR

Desert : Arctic
Location : U.S., Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia
Size : 5.4 million sq. mi.
Topography : Snow, glaciers, tundra

Desert : Antarctic
Location : Antarctica
Size : 5.5 million sq. mi.
Topography : Ice, snow, bedrock