What is the world’s largest hot desert by area?

The Sahara Desert is the world’s largest hot desert by area.

The Sahara covers much of North Africa and spans roughly 9.2 million square kilometres, although its exact boundary changes with climate and definition. It stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east.

The desert includes more than sand dunes. Its landscapes contain rocky plateaus, gravel plains, mountains, salt flats, and seasonal watercourses called wadis. The highest point is Emi Koussi, a volcanic peak in Chad’s Tibesti Mountains.

The Sahara is the largest hot desert, but Antarctica is the world’s largest desert overall because deserts are defined by very low precipitation, not by heat. The Sahara has also shifted dramatically over time; during the African Humid Period, parts of it supported lakes, grasslands, and abundant wildlife.