Africa is a continent that does not only accommodate the largest desert on earth but that also houses further deserts and semi-deserts as well as savannah and steppe. Deserts and semi-deserts cover 58 % of the land area, i.e., 17,309,000 km². Only Australia has a higher percentage of desert coverage. The Sahara itself is as large as the whole of Australia.

Steppe and savannah are transition areas to and from deserts.