The drylands of the planet are prevalent. The deserts make up nearly a quarter of the planet’s land. While the lush rainforests and the alpine mountains are the most popular, they also cover vast expanses that consist of sand and stone. The iconic ‘deserts’ of the world are a great place to start. Sahara The cold deserts of Central AsiaThese regions are not just barren voids. These regions are home to unique ecosystems and Indigenous cultures. According to the World Atlas of Desertification (WAD), deserts—defined as hyper-arid zones with minimal rainfall—make up roughly 6.6% of Earth’s land area, while over 40% is classified as broader drylands. According to ecological classification and satellite maps, these are the world’s largest desert countries.
This article was originally published in Condé Nast Traveller India.
Methodology
This list uses the World Atlas of Desertification (published by the Joint Research Centre of European Commission in collaboration with the European Commission) to estimate the desert area. UNEPData from NASA Earth Observations and UNEP-GRID were used to define key geographical boundaries. Data from NASA Earth Observations and UNEP-GRID were used to supplement key geographic boundaries. These data helped delineate large desert landscapes and hyper-arid areas. We also used national climate zone maps and geospatial reports to ensure accuracy on a national scale. This allowed us to identify the countries that had the largest deserts within their borders, or those with shared transboundary areas. We only consider hyper-arid regions and not drylands in general. The desert areas are attributed to countries based on the known coverage of major deserts such as the Saharan, Arabian, Gobi and others.
1. Algeria: 1,5 million square kilometers (about 579,900 square miles).
Algeria has the largest part of the Sahara Desert covering more than 80% of its territory. Algeria has the largest desert in the world with over 1.5 million square kilometers. The terrain varies from sand-dunes in the Grand Erg Oriental, to rocky plateaus, and seasonal salt flats. Desert towns such as Tamanrasset or the oases along the M’zab Valley, have been inhabited for centuries despite their extreme climate.
2. Saudi Arabia: 1.3 Million square kilometers (about 500,000 square miles).
