Algeria contains the largest share of the Sahara Desert by area.
The Sahara covers much of northern Africa, stretching across several countries from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. In Algeria, the desert occupies the vast southern portion of the country, including major regions such as the Ahaggar, Tassili n’Ajjer, and the Grand Erg Oriental.
Algeria’s Saharan territory includes rocky plateaus, gravel plains, mountain massifs, and sand seas. The country therefore illustrates why the Sahara is not simply a landscape of continuous dunes. Many parts are covered by exposed rock or gravel rather than loose sand.
Egypt and Libya also contain enormous Saharan areas, while Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Tunisia, and Morocco include other sections. Country rankings can vary slightly depending on how national boundaries and the Sahara’s transitional margins are defined, but Algeria is conventionally identified as containing the greatest share.