Largest Deserts in Africa
Africa features some of the most vast, iconic, and geologically diverse deserts on Earth. The continent’s arid regions are generally divided between the massive, sun-baked expanses of North Africa and the unique coastal and semi-arid basins of Southern Africa.
The following table lists the largest deserts in Africa by total geographic area.
| Rank | Desert Name | Approx. Area (km²) | Approx. Area (sq mi) | Primary Region | Distinctive Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sahara Desert | 9,200,000 | 3,600,000 | North Africa (11 countries) | Largest hot desert in the world |
| 2 | Kalahari Desert | 930,000 | 360,000 | Southern Africa (Botswana, Namibia, SA) | Semi-desert sandy savanna basin |
| 3 | Namib Desert | 81,000 | 31,200 | Namibia, Angola, South Africa | Oldest desert; tallest coastal sand dunes |
| 4 | Danakil Desert | 136,500 | 52,700 | East Africa (Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti) | Hyper-thermal tectonic depression |
| 5 | Guban Desert | 7,000 | 2,700 | Horn of Africa (Somalia/Somaliland) | Arid, coastal maritime plain |