List of deserts facts for kids

The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world

This page lists many of the world's deserts, grouped by where they are found. Deserts are very dry places that get very little rain. They can be hot or cold, but they all share one thing: not much water!

Deserts in Africa

Namib Desert

Africa is home to some of the biggest and most famous deserts.

• Kalahari Desert – This desert covers a large part of Botswana and stretches into Namibia and South Africa.
• Karoo Desert – You can find this desert in parts of southern South Africa.
• Namib Desert – This ancient desert is located in present-day Namibia, right along the coast.
• Danakil Desert – This very hot desert is in northeastern Ethiopia, southern Eritrea, southern Djibouti, and northwestern Somalia.
  • Eritrean Coastal Desert – This desert runs along the coast of Eritrea and Djibouti.
• Guban Desert – Located along the coast of northwestern Somalia.
• Grand Bara Desert – This desert covers parts of southern Djibouti.
• Chalbi Desert – Found in northern Kenya, near the border with Ethiopia.
• Nyiri Desert – Located in southern Kenya, close to the border with Tanzania.
• Lompoul Desert – A smaller desert in northwestern Senegal.
• Sahara Desert – This is Africa's largest desert and the world's biggest hot desert. It covers a huge area of North Africa.
  • Ténéré – A part of the Sahara in northeastern Niger and western Chad.
  • Tanezrouft – This desert covers northern Mali, northwestern Niger, and parts of central and southern Algeria.
  • El Djouf – Found in northeastern Mauritania and parts of northwestern Mali.
  • Djurab Desert – A desert in northern central Chad.
  • Tin-Toumma Desert – Located in southeastern Niger.
  • Libyan Desert – This desert covers eastern Libya, western Egypt, and northwestern Sudan.
    • White Desert – A unique part of the Libyan Desert in western Egypt, known for its white rock formations.
  • Eastern Desert – This desert is in eastern Egypt and northeastern Sudan, between the Nile River and the Red Sea.
    • Nubian Desert – A part of the Eastern Desert in northeastern Sudan.
    • Bayuda Desert – Located in eastern Sudan, just southwest of the Nubian Desert.
  • Sinai Desert – This desert is on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.
  • Atlantic Coastal Desert – A narrow strip of desert along the western coast of the Sahara, in Western Sahara and Mauritania.

Deserts in Asia

Aerial view of Negev

Asia has many large and diverse deserts.

• Arabian Desert – A huge desert system on the Arabian Peninsula.
  • Al Khatim Desert – Near Abu Dhabi.
  • Al-Dahna Desert – A central part of the Arabian Desert in Saudi Arabia.
  • Empty Quarter (Rub' al Khali) – The world's largest sand desert, covering much of Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
  • Nefud Desert – In the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula.
  • Ramlat al-Sab`atayn – A desert in north-central Yemen.
  • Wahiba Sands – Covers large parts of Oman.
• Judaean Desert – A desert in eastern Israel and the West Bank.
• Negev – A desert located in southern Israel.
• Bromo Sand Sea – A special desert made of volcanic sand in Indonesia.
• Dasht-e Kavir – A desert in central Iran.
• Dasht-e Lut – A large salt desert in southeastern Iran.
• Polond Desert – A desert in eastern Iran.
• Maranjab Desert – A desert in central Iran.
• Katpana Desert – A cold desert in Pakistan.
• Indus Valley Desert – Located in Pakistan.
• Kharan desert – Located in Pakistan.
• Syrian desert – Found in Syria, Jordan, and Iraq.
• Thal Desert – A desert in Pakistan.
• Thar Desert – A large desert in India and Pakistan.
  • Cholistan Desert – A desert in Pakistan.
• Dasht-e-Margo – A desert in southwestern Afghanistan.
• Kyzyl Kum – A desert in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
• Kara Kum – A large desert in Central Asia.
• Lop Desert – A desert in China.
• Ordos – A desert in northern China.
  • Kubuqi Desert – A desert in northern China.
  • Mu Us Desert – A desert in northern China.
• Gobi – A large desert in Mongolia and China.

Gobi in Mongolia

• • Badain Jaran Desert – A desert in China.
  • Hami Desert – A desert in China.
  • Tengger Desert – A desert in China.
• Taklamakan – A desert located in China.
• Gurbantünggüt Desert – A desert in northwestern China.
• Kumtag Desert – A desert in northwestern China.
• Karapinar Desert – A desert in Southern Central Anatolia.

Deserts in Europe

Europe has some areas that are called deserts, even if they aren't as big or as dry as the famous deserts in Africa or Asia.

Deserts in Spain

• Bardenas Reales – A semi-dry desert in Navarre, Spain.
• Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park – A dry desert in Almeria, Spain.
• Monegros Desert – A semi-dry desert in Aragón, Spain.
• Tabernas Desert – A dry and semi-dry desert in Almería, Spain.

Other European Deserts

• Oltenian Sahara - A desert-like area in Dolj County, Oltenia, Romania.
• Oleshky Sands – A sand desert in Kherson Oblast, Ukraine.

Deserts in North America

Sonoran Desert

North America has several well-known deserts.

• Chihuahua Desert – This desert stretches across Mexico and the United States.
• Great Basin Desert – A large desert region.
  • Black Rock Desert
  • Death Valley – One of the hottest places on Earth.
• Mojave Desert – A desert in the United States.
• Red Desert (Wyoming) – Found in Wyoming.
• Sonoran Desert – A desert in the United States and Mexico, famous for its saguaro cacti.
  • Colorado Desert
  • Gran Desierto de Altar
• Thompson Plateau – A desert in Canada.

Deserts in Oceania

Deserts in Australia

Tanami Desert in Australia

Australia is a very dry continent with many deserts.

• Central Desert – A desert in central Australia.
• Gibson Desert – A central Australian desert.
• Great Sandy Desert – A desert in northwestern Australia.
• Great Victoria Desert – The largest desert in Australia.
• Little Sandy Desert – A desert in western Australia.
• Simpson Desert – A central Australian desert.
• Strzelecki Desert – A desert in south-central Australia.
• Tanami Desert – A desert in northern Australia.

Deserts in New Zealand

• Rangipo Desert – This area in New Zealand is called a desert because it looks barren, even though it gets a lot of rain. The soil and strong winds make it hard for plants to grow.

Deserts in South America

Sechura Desert in Peru

South America has some very dry regions.

• Atacama Desert – One of the driest places on Earth, located in Chile and Peru.
• La Guajira Desert – A desert in Colombia and Venezuela.
• Monte Desert – In Argentina, a smaller desert above the Patagonian Desert.
• Patagonian Desert – The largest desert in the Americas, located in Argentina.
• Sechura Desert – A desert located south of the Piura Region of Peru.
• Jalapão – A desert park in Tocantins, Brazil.

Polar Deserts

These are "cold deserts" because they get very little precipitation (snow or rain), even though they are covered in ice and snow.

Antarctic Deserts

• Antarctic Desert – The largest desert in the world. It's a polar desert, meaning it's extremely cold and dry.
  • McMurdo Dry Valleys – Very dry, snow-free valleys in Victoria Land, Antarctica.
  • Meyer Desert – A small desert close to the South Pole.

Arctic Deserts

• Arctic Desert – The second largest "desert" in the world. It includes frozen ocean, land ice, and tundra areas.
  • North American Arctic – A large tundra region in Northern America.
    • Greenland – Mostly covered by a huge ice sheet, similar to Antarctica.
  • Russian Arctic – A large tundra in Russia.

Places Called "Deserts" That Aren't Really Deserts

Sometimes, places are called "deserts" even if they don't fit the scientific definition of a desert (which is based on how little rain they get). These areas might have sandy soil or look barren, but they receive more rainfall than true deserts.

• Accona Desert – An area in Siena, Italy.
• Błędowska Desert – An area of sands in Poland.
• Carcross Desert – A sand-dune system in Yukon, Canada.
• Chara Sands – A region in Siberia, Russia.
• Desert of Maine – A 40-acre area of glacial sand dunes in Maine, United States.
• Desert of Wales – A large, upland area of Wales.
• Dungeness – A shingle area in the South East England, United Kingdom, sometimes called "Britain's only desert."
• Highlands of Iceland – The interior plateau of Iceland.
• Kaʻū Desert – An area in Hawaii that looks like a desert because of acid rain from the nearby Kīlauea volcano.
• Lençóis Maranhenses National Park – A unique park in Brazil with sand dunes and seasonal lagoons.
• Oltenian Sahara – An area in Oltenia, Romania, that is becoming more desert-like.
• The Stone Desert – A rock formation in Bulgaria.
• Red Desert – A desert-like region in South Africa.
• Sleeping Bear Dunes – A lakeshore in Michigan, United States.
• Słowiński National Park – A sand-dune area in Poland.
• Tottori Sand Dunes – A sand-dune system in Tottori Prefecture, Japan.

See also

• Desert
• Desertification
• List of deserts by area
• Polar desert
• Tundra