If I asked you to imagine a desert you might well have an image of sand as far as the eye can see, but the truth is there are several kinds of deserts. Today we are looking at the worlds largest subtropical deserts (the kind filled with sand) and this is where they are…
The Worlds Largest Subtropical Deserts and Where to Find Them
10 – Gibson Desert in Australia – Area in Square Miles: 60,000 (km²: 156,000)
This large dry desert covers a very large area of Western Australia and is often considered to be one of the most unexplored places on earth due to it being so hot. But it’s certainly not the hottest place on Earth that is for sure!
9 – Thar Desert in Asia – Area in Square Miles: 77,000 (km²: 200,000)
Often called the Great Indian Desert this is what most people would imagine a desert to look like with its red sands and rolling sand hills that seem to change shape and direction on a daily basis.
8 – Sonoran Desert in America – Area in Square Miles: 120,000 (km²: 310,000)
This desert is so big it covers vast areas of both America and Mexico! If you like your deserts to feature cactuses this is the one you will like the most.
7 – Great Sandy Desert in Australia – Area in Square Miles: 150,000 (km²: 400,000)
Located in North-West Australia is a desert that contains large ergs which is an extra barren area of desert often void of any cover whatsoever.
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6 – Chihuahuan Desert in America – Area in Square Miles: 175,000 (km²: 450,000)
Once again this desert covers large areas of both Mexico and America, but this one features various mountain ranges and a wide range of wildlife.
5 – Syrian Desert in Asia – Area in Square Miles: 200,000 (km²: 520,000)
Also known as the Hamad it is a gravely desert pavement (also called a reg) that features closely packed, interlocking rock fragments that do make it look just like paving stone.
4 – Great Victoria Desert in Australia – Area in Square Miles: 220,000 (km²: 647,000)
This sparsely populated desert is located in Western Australia and is the largest of all the Australian ones. While it doesn’t have the large sand dunes of the others it is still a harsh environment that most humans would struggle to survive in.
3 – Kalahari Desert in Africa – Area in Square Miles: 360,000+ (km²: 900,000)
Covering much of Botswana and even some parts of Namibia this deserts name means “the great thirst” which is exactly what you would be suffering from if you were lost within it.
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2 – Arabian Desert In Asia – Area in Square Miles: 900,000+ (km²: 2,330,000)
Now we are really getting into serious grounds. Featuring one of the largest continuous bodies of sand in the world it is also home to some of the rarest creatures in the world and even the odd honey badger!
1 – Sahara Desert in Africa – Area in Square Miles: 3,300,000+ (km²: 9,000,000+)
While it is only the third largest desert in the world (of all kinds) it is the worlds largest hot desert and while mostly rocky it is still not the sort of place us humans will survive long in without considerable water resources at our disposal.
