What is the largest desert in the world?
One of my favorite gags in cartoons is when a character is lost in the desert, sweat pouring down their face, and suddenly they see an oasis. Pretty soon they’re sitting on a deck chair with a cocktail and then swimming in the pool. Then the perspective shifts and we see that they’re actually just drinking and flopping around in nothing but sand. Classic!
Deserts are, by definition, places that are extremely hard for life — which covers a surprising amount of the planet. About one-third of the Earth’s land surface could be considered either desert or close to it. Some of you are reading this while inside your air-conditioned house that was literally built in the middle of a desert. If I were one of you, I’d check that drink and make sure it’s not sand.
You’ve certainly heard of some of the most-famous deserts out there, but which one is the biggest?
