World Deserts with a Map

Can you name these 55 major deserts? This is by no means an exhaustive list (turns out it's hard to create a definitive list of 'deserts', so this is more of a list of ones you should *reasonably* know)
Deserts and map largely based off of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_deserts and the WWF Ecoregions
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Goggins0
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Last updated: April 26, 2026
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First submittedMarch 25, 2026
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Nearctic
Columbia Plateau
Wyoming Basin
Great Basin
Colorado Plateau
Mojave Desert
Sonoran Desert
Chihuahuan Desert
Tamaulipan Desert
Mexican Desert
Baja California
 
Neotropical
Caatinga
Atacama Desert
Sechura Desert
Monte Desert
Galápagos
Patagonia
Leeward Antilles
La Costa
Palearctic
Sahara Desert
Arabian Desert
Syrian Desert
Great Salt Desert
Dasht-e Lut
Sistan Basin
Paropamisus
Karakum Desert
Kyzylkum Desert
Aralkum Desert
Ustyurt Desert
Betpak-dala
Caspian Depression
Taklimakan Desert
Dzungar Basin
Qaidam Basin
Gobi Desert
Afrotropical
Afar Triangle
Somali Desert
Masai
Kalahari Desert
Kaokoveld
Karoo
Namib Desert
Madagascar Spiny Forests
Socotra
 
Indomalayan
Makran Desert
Balochistan Plateau
Thal Desert
Thar Desert
 
Australasian
Great Sandy Desert
Little Sandy Desert
Great Victoria Desert
Tanami Desert
Simpson Desert
Gibson Desert
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2 Comments
+1
Level 24
Apr 26, 2026
Caatinga is not a "major desert", rather a semi-arid, thorny scrub forest or tropical dry forest in South America. Cayman Islands are not a desert. They are a tropical, and lush territory island located in the Caribbean, characterized by mangrove swamps, palm trees, and coral reefs.
+1
Level 52
Apr 26, 2026
Though the Caatinga does have some forestation, an environment like that is fairly common for deserts (take the Great Karoo, Spiny Forests, and Columbia Plateau, which are even more forested) and I've found it's typically described as a desert as well.

In the case of the Caymans, it was hard to determine if they should be considered a desert, but I followed the WWF, who classified them as a desert. Looking back, that decision was questionable, so I'll get that corrected.