<P> The Sahara ( Arabic : الصحراء الكبرى ‎ , aṣ - ṣaḥrāʼ al - kubrá , ' the Great Desert ' ) is the largest hot desert and the third largest desert in the world after Antarctica and the Arctic . Its area of 9,200,000 square kilometres ( 3,600,000 sq mi ) is comparable to the area of China or the United States . The name ' Sahara ' is derived from dialectal Arabic word for `` desert '' , ṣaḥra ( صحرا / ˈsʕaħra / ) . </P>
what is the significance of the sahara desert
the largest hot desert and the third largest desert in the world after Antarctica and the Arctic