Spanning parts of Mongolia and China, it measures 0.5 million square miles (1.3 million sq. There’s just something about them. In fact, an astonishing 98 percent is permanently covered by a sheet of ice. The Cholistan Desert also locally called Rohi is a large desert in the southern part of Punjab, Pakistan that forms part of the Greater Thar Desert, which reaches Sindh province and the Indian state of Rajasthan. km). The Antarctic is classified as a polar desert. Because of this, the area is unoccupied except for the mountainous areas. The desert is located … from east to west and 1300 to 2000 km from north to south. Fauna includes arachnids (e.g. The world’s largest desert is the Sahara, which covers nearly all of northern Africa. A study conducted in 2018 shows that it has grown by ten percent since 1920. Antarctic Desert. The area has many more superlatives associated with its name than the largest desert alone. Most of the desert is comprised of rocky hamada (a barren rock… In this article, we explore the world's largest deserts.Â. Subsoil water in the Cholistan is normally brackish and unsuitable for many plant growth. It is the seventh largest desert in the world, clocking in at 0.25 million square miles (0.65 million sq. GOBI DESERT (#5- China & Mongolia) KARAKUM DESERT (#13- Turkmenistan) KYZYLKUM DESERT (#16- Central Asia) TAKLAMAKAN DESERT … It is located along the Tigris River and also is a very old city, originally founded as it was in the 8th century. It spans multiple Middle Eastern countries, including Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Deserts generally increase in size during dry seasons and decrease during wet seasons, but humans are interfering with this natural cycle, causing deserts to grow faster than they are shrinking. At 0.19 million square miles (0.49 million sq. But in modern times, the name more appropriate to the skeletal remains of shipwrecks that line the coast, caught off-guard by the dense fog that rolls in off the Atlantic in the evening. It is a barren and sandy landscape, but is surprisingly rich in natural resources, such as oil and sulfur. While it gets more rain than the Antarctic, it still only receives approximately six to ten inches a year. The Great Victoria is a subtropical desert located in Australia. Water sources are rare, but the Sahara does have two rivers and twenty seasonal lakes. A coastal desert, the Namib Desert covers the countries of Namibia, Angola and South Africa, stretching for around 2000 km along the Atlantic Coast. Search. When it comes to animals, you will see whales, seals, and, of course, penguins. Wild animals such as meerkat, hyena, kudu, and wildebeest call this region home. Where Are the 25 Biggest Deserts in the World? Measuring 5.5 million square miles, it is the largest desert in the world. Including some of the world’s highest dunes, this is a land of legendary cinematic landscapes. The Gobi is likewise known for its severe temperatures from as high as 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius) in the summer and incredibly low-temperature levels in the winter. It is full of sand dunes and fascinating animals. Sahara is the 2nd Largest Desert in the World – 3.3 million square miles The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world, famous for its iconic sand dunes. A desert is an almost uninhabited area where rainfall rarely exceeds 250 milliliters per year. Positioned in the middle of the Iranian plateau, the Dasht-e Kavir, also known as the Great Salt Desert, includes salt marshes (kavirs), of course, and mud. The Sahara is the best example to illustrate the above. Another well-known desert city is Baghdad, the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo, which shows up later on in this list. The biodiversity is impressive with more than 140 species of birds, 23 types of lizards, 25 snake species, plus the chinkara, or Indian gazelle, to call however a couple of. 4. The Australian Deserts receive more than 100 mm of rainfall per annum. It is said that at 4,950 years old, a local Bristlecone Pine is the world’s oldest living thing. This is a list of deserts sorted by the region of the world in which the desert is located. The desert is the hottest desert in Mexico and is world-famous for its unique endemic plants, most particularly the saguaro and organ pipe cactus. Moon Valley in the Atacama Desert The Sahara covers most of northeastern Africa which is about 10% of the continent. km), the Great Basin is one of the “big four” deserts in North America. Interestingly, it is classified as a semi-desert as it receives four to eight inches of rain per year, but twenty during special wet years—ten more than what is generally accepted for a region to be considered a desert. The Antarctic Desert is the biggest desert in the world, covering all of the land of Antarctica – the continent located over the South Pole. It measures roughly 0.26 million square miles (0.67 million sq. km). Its terrain is mostly rocks and hard-packed earth, which made it a valuable trade route throughout history. The largest deserts in the world by area. This reality may lead you to think that this location is without life, but that’s not real. The dunes here are huge– some of them rise to 180 meters high. Antarctica does not see adequate precipitation to qualify as anything besides a desert. Polar deserts: the Antarctic Desert and the Arctic Desert are the largest deserts in the world. It is also considered a rain shadow desert because the Himalayas block out all rainy weather. Of the deserts of the world, the Sahara Desert is the largest desert that falls into a sub-tropical climate. In fact, an entire third of the Sahara’s current size is due to climate change. The Syrian—also known as the Syrian or Jordanian Steppe—is the tenth largest desert in the world, measuring approximately 0.19 million square miles (0.49 million sq. Parts of the desert have actually never ever seen a drop of rain considering that records have been kept. The oldest desert in the world, the Namib is located on the coast of southern Africa, spreading across Namibia, Angola and South Africa. As a semiarid desert, it shares similar characteristics with the Gobi desert. km). In fact, only about 20 per cent of the world’s deserts are covered in sand. Deserts are found in all continents of the world but the nature and size of these deserts vary greatly. It is among 2 big deserts in Punjab, the other being the Thal Desert. However, the unbelievable Death Valley, which is within the Mojave, is really 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level. It is one of the most popular deserts of the world and known for the great Mongol Empire and attachment of Silk Road. In the last few years we’ve found ourselves drawn more and more to the deserts of this world. Covering the majority of northern Africa, this desert is about the size of the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii). You will not find any plants except for moss and algae. More than a million people call this desert house. The Cholistan covers an area of 25,800 km2 in the Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, and Rahim Yar Khan districts of southern Punjab. Known as the Empty Quarter in English, the Rub’ al Khali is the largest sand desert in the world that covers 225,000 square miles (583,000 square kilometers) throughout portions of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates. The landscape is identifiable by large transitioning sand dunes, which cover the majority of the desert, together with alluvial plains and salt lakes that appear during monsoon season. The name is stemmed from the Turkic word chol, meaning “sands,” and istan, a Persian suffix significance “land of.”. 4. The Sahara Desert occupies a surface area of about 3.5 million square miles. During the summer, temperatures rise up to forty degrees Celsius. It does not rain or snow a lot there. Due to its location along the coast, the Atacama is cooler than most deserts and is regularly covered with fog. However, that does not take away from its beauty. However the definition is the same for all of them: a desert only earns the … While this is certainly the case for some regions, all do not fit this description. The deserts of the world range from cold to hot, but are all incredibly dry. Some parts of the region receive less than 2 mm/ 0.08 inches of precipitation every year. This desert accounts for most of the land in North Africa, excluding the fertile regions of Maghreb, the Atlas Mountains and the coastal region adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea. However, the largest desert is located in somewhere else actually. Pollution and other human activities are creating droughts and wildfires, and increasing levels of salt in the ground, which is ultimately causing subtropical and semiarid desert regions to expand and rise in temperature. Deserts are found throughout the world, especially in Africa and Australia.  Â. Extending for 1200 miles (1900 km), this coastal desert is one of the world’s oldest deserts and occupies 81,000 square kilometres. Some interesting facts about these deserts are mentioned below: The Antarctic is classified as a polar desert. The desert covers an area of about 100,000 square miles (260,000 square kilometers) and covers large areas of Arizona and California in the United States, and Sonora, … Oases infringe on the parched expanse, nourished by water from the desert’s … In the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, the Khongoryn Els dune is said to sing when the wind blows. It spans numerous northern countries, including Canada, Greenland, Russia, and Asia. Check out our preferred and well-known deserts throughout the world. Even animals such as lizards who normally thrive in these types of hot environments are struggling with desertification. The Sahara is the largest subtropical desert in the world, clocking in at 3.5 million square miles. Approximately 33 percent of the Earth’s land is covered by desert. It spans multiple states, covering most of Nevada and Utah. Located directly north of the Mojave Desert, it is a dry expanse of clay, silt, and sand; however, as a semiarid desert, it receives a fair amount of snow during the winter months. The Kalahari is a subtropical desert located in southern Africa. Top 10 Largest Deserts in the World. Despite these harsh conditions, it is home to numerous desert animals, including camels, lizards, and scorpions. Sahara Desert is considered as the third largest desert in the world after Antarctica. Some experts even believe that certain parts located away from the coast have not had rain in the past 14 million years. The Sahara is the largest subtropical desert in the world, clocking in at 3.5 million square miles (9 million sq. Located west of the Andes along the Pacific coast in Peru and Chile, the Atacama Desert is known as the ‘driest place on Earth’. It’s likewise the oldest desert in the world, approximated to have actually been a desert for between 55 and 80 million years. The most populated desert in the world, the Thar Desert is home to 83 individuals per square kilometer. When compared to the total area of the United States, the Sahara Desert exceeds easily as much as 9,200,000 square kilometers. It is most known for its scorching hot climate and mountainous sand dunes that reach as high as 183 meters. It’s known for its dunes, mountains, and unusual animals such as snow leopards and Bactrian camels. Spanning parts of Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa, it is the eighth largest desert in the world at 0.22 million square miles (0.56 million sq. When it snows, the snow does not melt and builds up over several years to make big, thick sheets of ice called ice sheets. Covering the majority of North Africa, the Sahara is practically as large as the United States! The Mojave Desert covers parts of southeastern California and southern Nevada, together with small sections of northwestern Arizona and southwestern Utah. Deserts are wild, extreme places, and we love exploring them, photographing them, and discovering more about these magical locations. Deserts cover more than one-quarter of Earth’s land … Lots of people believe it’s likewise the biggest however in fact it can be found in third, after Antarctica and The Arctic. A seaside desert, the Namib Desert covers the nations of Namibia, Angola, and South Africa, going for around 2000 km along the Atlantic Coast. Just like polar bears, this is also negatively impacting the local wildlife. Sahara Desert. The Arabian is the world’s second largest subtropical desert. km), the Great Basin is one of the “big four” deserts in North America. The Sahara, which carpets a large part of Northern Africa, is the third-largest desert in the world. Measuring 5.5 million square miles (14.2 million sq. What wildlife is able to thrive in such an environment is currently under threat from drought, over-grazing, and hunting. Their stark appeal is timeless, and life here exists at the mercy of the aspects. This desert is located in Argentina and is also among the list of some of the largest deserts in the world. The Rub’ al Khali is the sand desert including most of the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula. It measures more than 5000 km. Most of the world's deserts are in areas of constant high pressures, a detail that does not favor precipitation. Antarctica is the most extreme continent on Earth, as the coldest, driest and windiest place in the world, and the highest elevation. The Gobi Desert is a large, arid region in northern China and southern Mongolia. Area of the desert is 1.295 million square kilometers or … Arctic Desert. Winter season darkness, cold, ice– these might be some of the words utilized to explain the continent of Antarctica. Native trees, shrubs, and grasses are drought tolerant. Locust and dung beetles are native to this bleak region. Desert —any large, extremely dry area of land with sparse vegetation—is one of Earth’s major types of ecosystems. Human-made climate change is having a severe impact on our global deserts. Arabian Desert. What is a Desert? Unlike most global deserts, the Antarctic covers the entire continent. Despite the common conceptions of deserts as hot, there are cold deserts as well. Spanning most of the Arabian Peninsula in Asia, it measures approximately 1.0 million square miles (2.6 million sq. Some of Earth 's biggest deserts The wildlife of the Cholistan desert primarily includes migratory birds, specifically the Houbara bustard. As the air continues to move away from the equator most of its moisture has already been dropped, and … The desert covers some 650,000 km ² including parts of Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. A desert isn’t simply a desert: geologists differentiate between sandy, rocky and salt deserts as well as icy wastes (including the two largest in our list of all biggest deserts on earth). Depending on the climatic conditions there are several types of desert : cold, warm, mid latitude desert, monsoon, from NE trade winds and coastal desert. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. It is considered a desert because it rains on average only 10 mm every year. The Arctic tundra is the only other polar desert in the world. It is a harsh environment of sand, rocks, hard packed-earth, and grassland. When people think of deserts, they usually think of sand, the tiny particles of rocks and minerals that also occur on beaches. There is one best known desert in the world, the Sahara desert. The Sahara is aptly named after the Arabic word for “desert.” They include the Great Victoria Desert, Great Sandy Desert, Tanami Desert, Simpson Desert, and many other deserts. As a subtropical desert, it is a barren landscape of rock and gravel. It extends from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Red sea. Menu. The Incredible Small Flowers on Planet Earth, 10 Most Beautiful Mountain Ranges on the Earth, Desert Ecosystem – Flora and Fauna of Desert, Plant & Animals Adaptations. Most deserts are mainly made up of rocks or gravel, while others are icy. Located in Argentina, the Patagonian Desert—also known as the Patagonian Steppe—is the sixth largest desert in the world. It can take upwards of a week to cross this desert by car and more than 40 days … Though it is the largest desert in South America. The Antarctic Desert covers an area of 5,339,572 square miles over the South Pole. Since deserts are associated with difficult living conditions, they are often some of the world's most sparsely populated regions. On our recent two year trip we spent six months in the deserts of Jordan, Israel and the American Southwest. It is popular for its role in the Mongol Empire and important stops along the Silk Road. It includes all deserts above 50,000 square kilometres (19,300 sq mi). Like all traditional semiarid deserts, the Gobi experiences extremely high temperatures during the summer and frigid temperatures during the winter. The Gobi Desert. The Sahara is the largest hot desert and the third largest desert in the world behind the polar deserts in Antarctica and the Arctic. Featuring a landscape of salt mounds, which were created when the underground salt layers required their way through the mud and rocks to the top, the land threatens as the mud is tough to leave if you were to fall in. Despite its name, it covers more of Jordan than Syria. 1. Moving both north and south from the equator, tropical air containing moisture slowly cools and drops its water in the form of rain. This desert is known as the driest (non polar) desert in the world. The wide open spaces, the silence, and of course the incredible sunrises and … 5. km). This desert is identifiable by the secured Joshua trees and is considered a ‘high desert.’. The Atacama Desert in South America is situated on a plateau west of the Andes Mountains along the Pacific Ocean coastline. At 0.19 million square miles (0.49 million sq. 2. 5. Food & Drink. It is second only to the Antarctic, measuring a whopping 5.4 million square miles (13.9 million sq. Precipitation, not sand and heat, determine what areas are deserts. The most populated desert in the world, the Thar Desert is home to 83 individuals per square kilometer. Most likely the very first one that springs to mind, the Sahara Desert is the world’s most popular. It becomes part of the larger Arabian Desert. World: Deserts - Map Quiz Game: Deserts primarily occur in two bands of latitude in the world. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2020 worldatlas.com. There are 4 types of deserts: Polar Deserts, Subtropical Deserts, Cold Winter Deserts, and Cool Coastal Deserts. DESERTS IN ASIA. The desert kingdom of Petra is Jordan’s prize treasure and a wonder of the world. The Arabian Desert is the fifth largest desert in the world. The largest hot desert is the Sahara in Africa which spans the whole width of the continent. Antarctica is the Largest Desert and Cold Desert in the World covers Area about 13,829,430 square kilometers, over 98% of the ... 2. The park likewise features the deep ice field of Yolyn Am canyon. To the west lie the Andes, the world’s longest mountain range, and to the east, the Atlantic Ocean. Also known by the name the Great Indian Desert, the Thar Desert lies in eastern Pakistan and northwestern India. Summer temperatures can go as high as fifty degrees Celsius during the day, but drop drastically at night. The Great Victoria receives an average of eight to ten inches of rain every year. It is the largest desert of the world. Dinosaur fossils have been discovered at the red “Flaming Cliffs” of Bayanzag. ARABIAN DESERT (#4- Western Asia) Spanning some 900,000 square miles, the world’s fourth largest desert spans the majority of the Arabian Peninsula. km). Frost covers the ground during the winter season, but snow is unusual due to the dryness of the region. The heat waves in the desert can puff anyone in a matter of seconds. Spanning eleven countries, it covers nearly an entire third of Africa. It is also considered a desert due to the lack of precipitation; the frigid air is too cold to hold moisture. The landscape is identifiable by large transitioning sand dunes, which cover the majority of the desert, together with alluvial plains and salt lakes that appear during monsoon season. Destinations Food & Drink News Stay Video. As with most subtropical deserts, it is cooler during the winter, but still fairly hot. km). The other endangered species in this desert is Chinkara. It’s also the oldest desert in the world, estimated to have been a desert for between 55 and 80 million years! Deserts are among the most dramatically alluring natural landscapes worldwide. km). Unless we change our ways, this number could increase drastically throughout the coming years. 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