Desert Area Comparison (Largest KM2)
Largest desert areas in km2, from Kyzylkum 300000 to Antarctic 14200000. Britannica and Wikipedia areas with linked converter tool. See all 15 listed here.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyzylkum Cheapest row here. Rounded 300k. | 300,000 square kilometers | Kazakhstan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan | Wikipedia deserts by area: Kyzylkum 300000 (page 298000) |
| Sonoran Saguaro country. | 310,000 square kilometers | Mexico USA | Wikipedia deserts by area: Sonoran 310000 |
| Taklamakan Older revision said 270000. | 337,000 square kilometers | China cold winter | Wikipedia deserts by area current: Taklamakan 337000 |
| Karakum Black sand. | 350,000 square kilometers | Turkmenistan cold winter | Wikipedia Karakum page: 350000 |
| Great Victoria strict Greater region runs 647000 plus. | 348,750 square kilometers | Australia subtropical IBRA | Wikipedia deserts by area: Great Victoria 348750 strict |
| Chihuahuan Largest North American hot. | 450,000 square kilometers | Mexico USA | Wikipedia deserts by area: Chihuahuan 450000 (variant 453248) |
| Great Basin Sagebrush sea. | 492,000 square kilometers | USA cold winter | Wikipedia deserts by area: Great Basin 492000 |
| Syrian Half a million. | 500,000 square kilometers | Syria Jordan Iraq Saudi | Wikipedia deserts by area: Syrian 500000 |
| Patagonian Ecoregion page says 572883 instead. | 673,000 square kilometers | Argentina Chile cold winter | Wikipedia deserts by area: Patagonian 673000 |
| Kalahari Older magazines say 930000. | 900,000 square kilometers | Botswana Namibia SAfrica semi-desert | Wikipedia Kalahari page: 900000 |
| Gobi Dinosaur beds. | 1,295,000 square kilometers | China Mongolia cold winter | Wikipedia Gobi page: 1295000 |
| Arabian WorldAtlas outlier says 2600000. | 2,330,000 square kilometers | Arabian Peninsula | Wikipedia deserts by area: Arabian 2330000 |
| Sahara Largest hot desert unanimous. | 9,200,000 square kilometers | North Africa 11 countries | Wikipedia deserts by area + Britannica largest hot: Sahara 9200000 |
| Arctic Polar Older sources say 13700000. | 13,900,000 square kilometers | Arctic Ocean Greenland Canada Siberia | Wikipedia deserts by area + WorldAtlas: Arctic 13900000 |
| Antarctic Polar Priciest row here. Polar debate footnote. | 14,200,000 square kilometers | Antarctica | Wikipedia deserts by area + WorldAtlas: Antarctic 14200000 |
About this converter
Desert areas run 300,000 to 14,200,000 square kilometers down the standard list. Kyzylkum sits at 300,000, Sonoran at 310,000, Taklamakan at 337,000, Karakum at 350,000, Great Victoria strict at 348,750, Chihuahuan at 450,000, Great Basin at 492,000, Syrian at 500,000, Patagonian at 673,000, Kalahari at 900,000, Gobi at 1,295,000, Arabian at 2,330,000, Sahara at 9,200,000, Arctic at 13,900,000 and Antarctic at 14,200,000. Polar deserts qualify under 250 millimeter precipitation despite ice cover. Strict hot only tables start at Sahara instead.
How to use it
Pick two deserts and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. Try 1 Antarctic against Kyzylkum to see the forty seven to one gap. Switch to square miles for imperial maps.
Arabian outlier 2.6 million, Kalahari older 930,000, Patagonian ecoregion 572,883, Victoria greater 647,000 plus, Taklamakan older 270,000 and Arctic older 13.7 million all ride as variants in context. Tundra boundaries shift polar totals by survey. Semi-desert Kalahari still counts on standard lists.
FAQ
What is the largest desert?
Antarctic Polar at 14,200,000. Sahara leads hot deserts at 9,200,000.
Are polar regions deserts?
Yes by precipitation under 250 millimeters. Hot only tables start at Sahara.
How big is the Sahara?
9,200,000 square kilometers across 11 countries.
Why do some areas differ?
Tundra boundaries and strict versus greater regions shift totals.
Sources
- Wikipedia List of deserts by area (Antarctic 14.2M through Kyzylkum 300k)
- Britannica list of deserts + largest hot desert (Sahara 9.2M)
- WorldAtlas 10 largest deserts (polar and hot cross-check)
Last verified: 2026-10-01 · 15 entries
More creature sizes converters
Godzilla and Kaiju Size Converter (Height Comparison)
How big is Godzilla? Compare 16 kaiju heights: Monsterverse Godzilla, Kong, Ghidorah, Shin Godzilla and more. Meters, feet and visual bars.
Aircraft Carrier Length Comparison (Overall Meters)
Compare 13 aircraft carrier overall lengths: Juan Carlos 231 m, De Gaulle 261, Queen Elizabeth 284, Fujian 316, Ford 333. Official navy figures in one table.
Airliner Length Comparison (Widebody Meters)
Compare 8 widebody airliner lengths in meters, from the A330neo at 63.69 m to the 777-9 at 76.72 m. Maker spec figures in a linked tool. for fans today.
← Demon's Souls Weapon Damage Comparison (Base AR) · Desperate Housewives Episode Count Comparison →