The 11 largest deserts in the world are often bigger than many countries in the world. Our image of a desert has long since been that of a plain, arid land, with a scorching sun from which no protection is offered since the area is completely devoid of any vegetation. Add in a few camels, and maybe an oasis, and the image is complete.
However, while that image is correct in many instances, it does not hold true in every case. For this, we need to focus on the definition of a desert. A desert is defined as an area which receives either very little or no rain annually. As per the definition, there is absolutely no certainty that a desert has to be absolutely devoid of vegetation; that is just a side effect of no rain. Furthermore, it is also not necessary that a desert is extremely hot. In fact, as this article will show, a desert can be extremely cold as well. In contrast, you might also be interested in discovering the 11 largest lakes in the world, which have more water than all the deserts in this list combined.
We’ve all grown up learning that the biggest desert in the world is the Sahara desert. However, you may be in for a surprise as that is not technically correct.
11. Chihuahuan Desert
Size of the desert: 450,000 square kilometers
This desert encompasses two countries in the United States and Mexico, this desert is the second largest in the continent of North America. The desert was created due to its location between two mountain ranges, depriving it of rain necessary for vegetation to thrive in.