Archive puzzle · August 31, 2026

Largest deserts in the world by area (approximate)

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About this puzzle

Desert size is usually underestimated because most people picture hot sand, but the two largest deserts on Earth are cold polar regions where almost no rain falls. That redefinition puts Antarctica and the Arctic ahead of every famous sandy expanse, including the Sahara. Areas here are rounded to the nearest tenth of a million square kilometres and are approximate, since boundary definitions vary between sources.

Ranked largest to smallest · area in millions of square kilometres

What's in this puzzle

Listed alphabetically, without their values - the answer order stays hidden until you play.

Read the facts

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Read the facts for Deserts by area

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