The largest desert in the world by area is the **Antarctic Desert**, but when people refer to hot deserts, they usually mean the **Sahara**.


However, if we go by climate and not temperature, **Antarctica** qualifies as a cold desert and is the largest overall, spanning about 14 million square kilometers.


Among the options provided, the **Sahara Desert** is the correct choice. It is the largest hot desert in the world and the third largest overall, after Antarctica and the Arctic.


Covering much of North Africa, the Sahara spans over 9 million square kilometers. It stretches across 11 countries, including Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara.


Understanding the classification of deserts helps in better grasping geography and climate zones across the globe.