From the frozen landscapes of Antarctica to the scorching deserts of Africa to the often drought-stricken regions of North America, areas that get little to no rainfall tend to have harsh environments.
To identify the driest places on Earth, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed average annual rainfall recorded by weather stations around the world and compiled by the Global Historical Climatology Network, a program of the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
We calculated the average annual rainfall from precipitation in the years 1997 through 2018. Weather stations that did not have at least five years of data available between 1997 and 2018 were not considered.
While many such hostile regions of the planet are barren of all life, many have been inhabited for millennia.
Most of these places are in Algeria, Egypt, and other countries along the southern coast of the Mediterranean. Six of the 50 driest places on Earth receive an average of less than 1 inch of rain each year.
50. Tidjikja, Mauritania
> Annual average precipitation (16 years of data): 1.2 inches
> Driest year in database: 2010, 4.6 inches
> Driest month on average: August, 2.3 inches
49. Béni Abbès, Algeria
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 1.2 inches
> Driest year in database: 2009, 4.1 inches
> Driest month on average: October, 0.4 inches
48. Indio, CA, United States Of America
> Annual average precipitation (10 years of data): 1.2 inches
> Driest year in database: 2004, 2.9 inches
> Driest month on average: December, 0.3 inches
47. Pay Menar, Afghanistan
> Annual average precipitation (5 years of data): 1.1 inches
> Driest year in database: 2016, 1.7 inches
> Driest month on average: December, 0.8 inches
46. Al Wajh, Saudi Arabia
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 1.1 inches
> Driest year in database: 2013, 3.3 inches
> Driest month on average: January, 0.4 inches
45. Fallon, NV, United States Of America
> Annual average precipitation (6 years of data): 1.0 inches
> Driest year in database: 1997, 4.5 inches
> Driest month on average: June, 1.2 inches
44. Wake Island, United States Of America
> Annual average precipitation (11 years of data): 1.0 inches
> Driest year in database: 1997, 6.2 inches
> Driest month on average: May, 0.6 inches
43. Ruoqiang, China
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.9 inches
> Driest year in database: 2003, 2.2 inches
> Driest month on average: June, 0.4 inches
42. Tinduf, Algeria
> Annual average precipitation (8 years of data): 0.9 inches
> Driest year in database: 2003, 3.2 inches
> Driest month on average: October, 1.5 inches
41. Atar, Mauritania
> Annual average precipitation (9 years of data): 0.9 inches
> Driest year in database: 2008, 2.1 inches
> Driest month on average: September, 1.3 inches
40. Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.9 inches
> Driest year in database: 2015, 2.2 inches
> Driest month on average: January, 0.4 inches
39. Copiapó, Chile
> Annual average precipitation (10 years of data): 0.9 inches
> Driest year in database: 2004, 3.0 inches
> Driest month on average: June, 0.5 inches
38. Illizi, Algeria
> Annual average precipitation (8 years of data): 0.9 inches
> Driest year in database: 2000, 2.4 inches
> Driest month on average: October, 0.2 inches
37. Concordia Station, Antarctica
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.9 inches
> Driest year in database: 2018, 2.5 inches
> Driest month on average: April, 0.1 inches
36. Ouargla, Algeria
> Annual average precipitation (8 years of data): 0.9 inches
> Driest year in database: 2000, 1.5 inches
> Driest month on average: October, 0.3 inches
35. Masirah Island, Oman
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.8 inches
> Driest year in database: 1997, 4.6 inches
> Driest month on average: November, 0.2 inches
34. Aqaba, Israel
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.7 inches
> Driest year in database: 2018, 1.7 inches
> Driest month on average: February, 0.2 inches
33. Chiclayo, Peru
> Annual average precipitation (20 years of data): 0.7 inches
> Driest year in database: 2008, 2.1 inches
> Driest month on average: March, 0.4 inches
32. Bir Moghrein, Mauritania
> Annual average precipitation (5 years of data): 0.7 inches
> Driest year in database: 2003, 2.2 inches
> Driest month on average: October, 2.1 inches
31. In Amenas, Algeria
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.7 inches
> Driest year in database: 2005, 3.0 inches
> Driest month on average: October, 0.2 inches
30. Dakhla, Western Sahara (Morocco)
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.7 inches
> Driest year in database: 2005, 2.3 inches
> Driest month on average: September, 0.4 inches
29. Helwan, Egypt
> Annual average precipitation (8 years of data): 0.7 inches
> Driest year in database: 1998, 1.3 inches
> Driest month on average: February, 0.2 inches
28. Hassi Fehal, Algeria
> Annual average precipitation (8 years of data): 0.7 inches
> Driest year in database: 2003, 1.4 inches
> Driest month on average: March, 0.2 inches
27. Merowe, Sudan
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.6 inches
> Driest year in database: 2007, 3.1 inches
> Driest month on average: August, 0.4 inches
26. Adrar, Algeria
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.5 inches
> Driest year in database: 1999, 2.1 inches
> Driest month on average: September, 0.1 inches
25. Palmeira, Cape Verde
> Annual average precipitation (11 years of data): 0.5 inches
> Driest year in database: 2016, 4.6 inches
> Driest month on average: September, 2.0 inches
24. Thumrait, Oman
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.5 inches
> Driest year in database: 2018, 3.6 inches
> Driest month on average: May, 0.2 inches
23. Djanet, Algeria
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.5 inches
> Driest year in database: 2005, 2.4 inches
> Driest month on average: June, 0.1 inches
22. Azekkour, Algeria
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.5 inches
> Driest year in database: 2008, 1.4 inches
> Driest month on average: October, 0.2 inches
21. Waddan, Libya
> Annual average precipitation (17 years of data): 0.5 inches
> Driest year in database: 2013, 1.6 inches
> Driest month on average: April, 0.2 inches
20. Nouadhibou, Mauritania
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.4 inches
> Driest year in database: 2010, 3.7 inches
> Driest month on average: October, 0.4 inches
19. Ain Salah, Algeria
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.4 inches
> Driest year in database: 1999, 1.3 inches
> Driest month on average: January, 0.1 inches
18. Trujillo, Peru
> Annual average precipitation (20 years of data): 0.4 inches
> Driest year in database: 2003, 1.2 inches
> Driest month on average: February, 0.2 inches
17. Nawabshah, Pakistan
> Annual average precipitation (5 years of data): 0.4 inches
> Driest year in database: 2003, 1.6 inches
> Driest month on average: August, 0.7 inches
16. Bilma, Niger
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.3 inches
> Driest year in database: 2004, 1.2 inches
> Driest month on average: August, 0.2 inches
15. Abu Hamad, Sudan
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.3 inches
> Driest year in database: 2007, 1.5 inches
> Driest month on average: August, 0.2 inches
14. Talara, Peru
> Annual average precipitation (5 years of data): 0.3 inches
> Driest year in database: 1999, 0.8 inches
> Driest month on average: March, 0.6 inches
13. Dongola, Sudan
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.3 inches
> Driest year in database: 2014, 1.3 inches
> Driest month on average: July, 0.2 inches
12. SabhÄ, Libya
> Annual average precipitation (18 years of data): 0.2 inches
> Driest year in database: 2013, 0.7 inches
> Driest month on average: January, 0.1 inches
11. La Chimba, Chile
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.2 inches
> Driest year in database: 2017, 2.0 inches
> Driest month on average: March, 0.1 inches
10. Arica, Chile
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.1 inches
> Driest year in database: 2017, 1.3 inches
> Driest month on average: March, 0.1 inches
9. Nok Kundi, Pakistan
> Annual average precipitation (5 years of data): 0.1 inches
> Driest year in database: 2003, 0.3 inches
> Driest month on average: January, 0.2 inches
8. Aswan, Egypt
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): 0.1 inches
> Driest year in database: 2014, 0.7 inches
> Driest month on average: March, <0.0 inches
7. Kharga Oasis, Egypt
> Annual average precipitation (7 years of data): 0.1 inches
> Driest year in database: 1999, 0.2 inches
> Driest month on average: January, <0.0 inches
6. Siwa Oasis, Egypt
> Annual average precipitation (6 years of data): <0.0 inches
> Driest year in database: 2001, 0.1 inches
> Driest month on average: February, <0.0 inches
5. Wadi Halfa, Sudan
> Annual average precipitation (22 years of data): <0.0 inches
> Driest year in database: 2010, 0.2 inches
> Driest month on average: August, <0.0 inches
4. Pisco, Peru
> Annual average precipitation (19 years of data): <0.0 inches
> Driest year in database: 2011, 0.1 inches
> Driest month on average: January, <0.0 inches
3. Kaktovik, AK, United States Of America
> Annual average precipitation (5 years of data): <0.0 inches
> Driest year in database: 1998, <0.0 inches
> Driest month on average: June, <0.0 inches
2. Chimbote, Peru
> Annual average precipitation (5 years of data): <0.0 inches
> Driest year in database: 1997, <0.0 inches
> Driest month on average: October, <0.0 inches
1. Al Jawf, Libya
> Annual average precipitation (12 years of data): <0.0 inches
> Driest year in database: 1997, 0.1 inches
> Driest month on average: October, <0.0 inches