What is the world’s largest desert by area, covering about 14 million square kilometres?

The Antarctic Desert is the world’s largest desert by area, covering about 14 million square kilometres.

A desert is defined by very low precipitation, not by heat. Antarctica receives little snowfall away from its coastal fringes, and its extremely cold air holds little moisture. The continent’s ice sheet therefore qualifies as a polar desert even though it is covered in ice.

The Sahara is the largest hot desert, but it is much smaller than Antarctica. Antarctica also contains the South Pole and nearly 90% of the world’s freshwater ice. Most of its precipitation falls as snow, and some interior regions may go years without measurable snowfall. Seasonal sea ice around the continent is not counted as part of the desert’s land area.