Which of the following is the world's largest desert?
2018
Which of the following is the world's largest desert?
Answer: B. Sahara — ConceptDeserts are classified by area, and by climate they fall into two broad categories: low-latitude “hot” deserts and high-latitude “cold”/polar deserts…
- A.
Gobi
- B.
Sahara
- C.
Kalahari
- D.
Thar
Attempted by 4 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept
Deserts are classified by area, and by climate they fall into two broad categories: low-latitude “hot” deserts and high-latitude “cold”/polar deserts (the ice deserts of Antarctica and the Arctic). When a general-knowledge question asks for “the world's largest desert” without further qualification, it conventionally means the largest hot desert — the polar deserts, though technically larger in area, are treated as a separate category and are rarely offered as MCQ options.
Application
Comparing the approximate areas of the four hot deserts listed:
Desert | Approx. Area |
|---|---|
Sahara | ~9.2 million km² |
Gobi | ~1.3 million km² |
Kalahari | ~900,000 km² |
Thar | ~200,000–300,000 km² |
The Sahara's area is roughly seven times that of the Gobi and vastly larger than the Kalahari or the Thar, so it is the largest of the deserts offered.
Cross-check
The Sahara covers roughly 31% of the African continent and is comparable in size to the entire United States, confirming it dwarfs the other three deserts listed.