Dasht-e Kavir (Persian: دشت كوير‎, lit. 'desert of salt-marsh'), also known as Kavir-e Namak (lit. 'salt-marsh of salt') and the Great Salt Desert is a large desert lying in the middle of the Iranian plateau. It is about 800 km (500 mi) and 320 km (200 mi) with a total surface area of about 77,600 km² (30,000 sq mi), making it the Earth's 23rd largest desert.