The 10 Hottest Countries In The World

Earth is home to some seriously extreme temperatures, ranging from the chilly Arctic to the scorching Sahara. But where is the hottest place on our planet?

Below we list the world’s 10 hottest spots, by highest recorded temperature.

1. Mali (28.83°C / 83.89°F)

Mali desert life

The Republic of Mali is a sizzling hot, landlocked nation in Northwestern Africa. The landscape is primarily a blend of the arid Sahara and the semi-arid Sahel regions, with the Niger River flowing for just over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) through the interior, providing fertile soils in an otherwise challenging environment.  Temperatures in the north can be as high as 48°C (118.4°F) in some areas. 

2. Burkina Faso (28.71°C / 83.68°F)

Burkina Faso life in desert

Just South of Mali is Burkina Faso, a country that sits on a vast savanna plateau. Given the proximity, Burkina Faso experiences an extremely similar year-round temperature average to its Northern neighbor, though the seasons and environment manifest in distinct ways. The country experiences two distinct seasons, the dry and the wet, and three temperature zones. Hot, dry winds called harmattan blow in the dry season, making the heat often unbearable.

3. Senegal (28.65°C / 83.57°F)

Senegal hot desert water

The party continues West of Mali, in the Republic of Senegal. Though the Atlantic Ocean embraces its Western border, little respite is offered from the scorching average temperatures. But despite the heat, humans have learned to cope and even thrive here since the Paleolithic era (Senegal is one of only a handful of countries with such evidence dating back this far). Temperatures as high as 54 °C (129.2 °F) have been recorded in the Tambacounda region in the country’s interior.

4. Tuvalu (28.45°C / 83.21°F)

Tuvalu

The nation of Tuvalu is made up of a collection of nine idyllic islands (coral atolls) in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania, roughly equidistant from Hawaii and Australia. As one might expect, the climate is tropical, with heavy rains arriving between November and March. High temperatures prevail all year round, ranging from 25°C to 30°C/77°F to 86°F.

5. Djibouti (28.38°C / 83.08°F)

Djibouti hot day

The Republic of Djibouti is a small East African nation encompassed by Southern Eritrea and the Red Sea (to the North), Eastern Ethiopia (to the West), Northwestern Somalia (to the Southeast), and the Gulf of Aden (to the East). This region experiences a hot, arid, subtropical climate with little seasonal variation. High temperatures prevail all year round with a mean daily maximum range of 32 to 41 °C (90 to 106 °F). 

6. Mauritania (28.34°C / 83.01°F)

Aerial wide panorama of the west part of Nouakchott, Mauritania

The Islamic Republic of Mauritania rests North of Senegal and North/West of Mali (as well as South of Western Sahara). Given that 90% of its land falls within the Sahara Desert, life here can be a rather hot, dusty, and arid affair. Naturally, most of the population has gravitated to the Atlantic Coast, and in particular, the capital city of Nouakchott.

7. Bahrain (28.23°C / 82.81°F)

BAHARAIN DESERT

Situated in the Persian Gulf and sandwiched between Saudi Arabia (to the West) and Qatar (to the East), the small archipelagic Middle East nation of Bahrain does its best to keep cool. The Kingdom of Bahrain (officially) does enjoy mild winters, but in the summertime, things tend to get exceptionally hot and humid. The country experiences an arid climate, with average afternoon summer temperatures being as high as 40 °C (104 °F).

8. Palau (​​28.04°C / 82.47°F)

Palau

The Republic of Palau is a cluster of hundreds of gorgeous limestone and volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean, east of the southern Philippines. Given its chart-topping average temperatures, vulnerability to rising sea levels, and captivating natural beauty, Palau is a global leader in combating climate change and establishing environmental protocols. 

9. Qatar (28.02°C / 82.44°F)

The recent host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup had to build air-conditioned stadiums to keep the best soccer players from across the globe from sweating up a storm. The State of Qatar (officially) occupies the Qatar Peninsula, thereby sharing its sole land border with Saudi Arabia (to the South).

10. The Gambia (27.97°C / 82.35°F)

the gambia

Just dipping below that 28-degree Celsius average threshold is the Republic of Gambia, the smallest nation in mainland Africa. Its slim footprint extends East into the Southern portion of Senegal from the Atlantic Ocean, hugging the floodplain of the Gambia River – one of the continent’s major waterways. The country experiences a sub-tropical climate with two distinct seasons – the long, dry season, and a short, wet one, with high temperatures throughout the year.

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