World geography · Updated September 2026
Largest oceans and deserts
Largest ocean: the Pacific. Largest desert overall: Antarctica. Largest hot desert: the Sahara. How the five oceans and the desert ranking work.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean — bigger than all the land on Earth put together. Then come the Atlantic, Indian, Southern (Antarctic) and Arctic oceans. Many schools now teach five oceans, not four.
A desert is a dry place, not necessarily a hot one. By that definition Antarctica is the largest desert. The Sahara is the largest hot desert, covering much of North Africa.
The Arabian, Gobi, Kalahari and Great Australian (Great Victoria) deserts appear next on most lists. The Atacama in Chile is one of the driest places on Earth.
Largest oceans and deserts — key facts (2026)
| Topic | Fact |
|---|---|
| Largest ocean | Pacific |
| Second ocean | Atlantic |
| Five-ocean model | Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, Arctic |
| Deepest trench | Mariana Trench (Pacific) |
| Largest desert (all types) | Antarctica |
| Largest hot desert | Sahara |
| Driest named desert (often) | Atacama |
| Largest desert in Asia | Gobi (cold desert) or Arabian, depending on definition |
Figures are the usual classroom and news-desk numbers for 2026. Border disputes and membership votes can change a count by one or two.
People also ask
How many oceans are there?
Five in the model the International Hydrographic Organization and most 2026 textbooks use. Older books said four and treated the Southern Ocean as part of the others.
Is Antarctica a desert?
Yes — very little precipitation. It is a cold desert.
What is the largest island?
Greenland. Australia is a continent, so it is not ranked as an island in that quiz.