Which country contains most of the Sahara Desert?

Algeria contains the largest share of the Sahara Desert.

The Sahara extends across much of northern Africa, covering parts of at least 11 countries. Algeria occupies more than four-fifths of the desert’s area within its borders, making the Sahara a defining feature of the country’s geography.

The desert covers roughly 9.2 million square kilometres, although its exact boundary changes depending on how desert conditions are measured. It is the largest hot desert in the world, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east.

The Sahara is not simply a sea of sand. It includes rocky plateaus, gravel plains, mountains, salt flats, and sand seas. The central Ahaggar Mountains are in southern Algeria. A common mistake is calling Antarctica a hot desert; Antarctica is the world’s largest desert overall, while the Sahara is the largest hot desert.