Which desert is the largest hot desert in the world?

The Sahara Desert is recognized as the largest hot desert in the world, covering an area of approximately 9.2 million square kilometers (3.6 million square miles). It stretches across several countries in North Africa, including Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, and Tunisia.

The classification of deserts is largely based on their temperature and the amount of precipitation they receive. The Sahara is characterized by hot, arid conditions, with high average temperatures, especially during the summer months. It is primarily classified as a hot desert due to its climate, which features little rainfall, typically less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) annually, and extreme temperature variations between day and night.

While other deserts like the Gobi, Kalahari, and Arabian deserts are significant and large in their own right, they do not surpass the Sahara in terms of area and classification as a hot desert. The Gobi, for instance, is a cold desert found in northern China and southern Mongolia. The Kalahari is a semi-arid sandy savanna in southern Africa, and the Arabian Desert, though sizable, is still smaller than the Sahara. Therefore, in the context of hot deserts, the Sahara stands out as