Thar Desert, India/Pakistan

The Thar Desert, also called the Great Indian Desert, covers more than 77,000 square miles (200,000 square kilometres) and forms a natural border between India and Pakistan. It is a large arid region, with a landscape dominated by sand dunes varying in size from 52 feet (16 meters) in the North to 498 feet (152m) in the south. The age of the Thar desert is a topic of great controversy, though most geologists agree that it is somewhere in the region of 4000-10,000 years old.

Taklamakan Desert, China

The Taklamaklan Desert, also known as the “Place of Ruins” or the “Sea of Death”, is the largest desert in China, at over 1000km (620mi) long and 400km (250mi) wide. Lying between the Tien Shan and Kunlun mountain ranges, the Taklamakan Desert is a waterless death trap. Legend states that you can get into to the Taklamakan, but you will never get out.

Mojave Desert, USA

The Mojave is an arid desert, spanning 124,000 sq km (47,877 sq mi). Primarily situated in California, it also occupies parts of Arizona, Utah and Nevada. The primary native inhabitants of the area were the Mojave, though the Paiutes and the Chemehueves were also present. Today, the majority of the Mojave Desert is sparsely populated, though it is located between two of the most popular and conventional tourist cities in the world, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Gobi Desert, Mongolia/China

The Gobi Desert spans portions of both Northern China and Southern Mongolia, covering a total area of 1.29 million square kilometers (0.5 million square miles). A cold desert; Gobi has one of the world’s most extreme climates, featuring rapid temperature changes, both seasonally and daily. Summer months bring temperatures of up to 122°F (50°C) whilst in the winter months, temperatures can drop to below -40°F (-40 °C). Rainfall is limited to approximately seven inches annually.

Atacama Desert, Chile

The Atacama Desert, covering a total area of 105,000 sq km (40,541 sq mi), stretches 1000km (600mi) from southern Peru into northern Chile. Said to be the driest place on Earth, it receives almost no rainfall whatsoever. In fact, certain parts of the desert may not experience rainfall for hundreds of years. As a result of these harsh conditions, particularly in the lower Atacama Desert, plant and animal life is almost non-existent. The northern coastal areas, however, do receive a little more rainfall, and as a result, are less arid.

Death Valley, USA

Death Valley is a desert valley situated within the Mojave Desert. Aptly named due to its harsh conditions, it is the lowest, hottest and driest place in the United States. The lowest point is 282ft (82m) below sea level, and the highest temperature ever recorded was 56.7 degrees Celcius in 1913. Interestingly, Mount Whitney, the highest point in the United States, is only 84 miles to the East.

Namib Desert, Namibia/Angola

Covering an area of 81,000 km sq (31,274 sq mi), the Namib is a coastal desert, situated along the southwestern coast of the African continent. Stretching over 2000km (1200mi), the Namib crosses Angola, Namibia and South Africa. Characterized by its red sand dunes, that can reach heights of up to 1200ft (365m) or more, the Namib Desert is considered to be particularly old, even by geological standards.

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

Salar de Uyuni is the worlds largest salt flat, spanning 10,582 km2 (4086 m2) in southwestern Bolivia. The Salar de Uyuni is an incredible landscape, unlike any other desert, featuring vast expanses of glistening white salt. Underneath the cemented salt are large reservoirs of lithium-rich brine. In fact, the area is home to 70% of the world’s lithium reserves.

Wadi Rum, Jordan

The Wadi Rum consists of 278 square miles (720 square kilometres) of desert wilderness. Commonly called ‘The Valley of the Moon’, Wadi Rum refers to the protected southern Jordan valley that cuts through variable coloured granite and sandstone mountains. The valley sand varies in colour from light tan to brick red. Valley terrain also differs throughout the area, appearing either as flat and wide or as deep, narrow crevices between rock formations.

Sahara Desert, North Africa

The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world, spanning over 3.6 million square miles and running through several countries in Northern Africa including Egypt, Morocco, Niger, Chad, Mauritania, Western Sahara, Sudan, Mali, Algeria and Tunisia. It’s name, ‘Sahara’, is derived from the Arabic word for ‘desert’. The hottest temperature ever was recorded in the Sahara Desert - an astonishing 58 degrees Celcius. The vast majority of the Sahara is a large expanse of sand, though some mountain ranges and grasslands are present, sparse though they may be.