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Where Is the World's Largest Hot Desert?

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Quick Answer

The Sahara in North Africa covers about 9.2 million square kilometres.

The Full Story

The Sahara Desert spans roughly 9.2 million square kilometres across 11 North African countries, making it the world's largest hot desert. While Antarctica and the Arctic are technically larger deserts (by the definition of low precipitation), the Sahara is the largest subtropical desert. Temperatures can exceed 50 °C and drop below freezing at night. Despite its barren reputation, the Sahara supports about 2.5 million people and was once green — rock art shows hippos and crocodiles from about 5,000–10,000 years ago.

Key Facts

1.Only about 25 % of the Sahara is sandy; much of it is rocky plateau and gravel plains.
2.The Sahara receives less than 25 mm of rain per year on average.
3.Sand dunes can reach heights of over 180 metres.

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Suggested video title for this topic:

"The Sahara — Africa's Vast and Surprising Desert"