WhereIsAtlas · Geography

The Sahara Desert

The world's largest hot desert — 9.2 million square km spanning northern Africa

Active — The Sahara is the world's largest hot desert, spanning about 9.2 million square kilometers across 11 countries in northern Africa. It is the third-largest desert overall, after the frozen deserts of Antarctica and the Arctic.

The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world, covering roughly 9.2 million square kilometers in northern Africa. It spans 11 countries: Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia and Western Sahara. It is the third-largest desert overall, after the cold deserts of Antarctica and the Arctic.

The Sahara is not just sand dunes, though that is its famous face. Much of it is bare rock, gravel and salt flats. It is a place of extremes — scorching days and cold nights — and it was not always a desert. Thousands of years ago the Sahara was greener and wetter, and it has grown and shrunk over time as the climate shifted.

The Sahara is a defining feature of Africa and the world, home to remarkable landscapes, oases, and the people and animals adapted to its harsh conditions.

Quick facts

Size
~9.2 million km²
Span
11 countries (northern Africa)
Type
Largest hot desert; 3rd-largest desert overall
Surface
Sand dunes, rock, gravel, salt flats
Climate
Extreme — hot days, cold nights
History
Once greener and wetter

Sources

Related: great barrier reef · amazon rainforest