Which continent contains the world’s largest desert by area?

Antarctica contains the world’s largest desert by area.

The Antarctic Ice Sheet covers roughly 14 million square kilometers, and the continent is classified as a desert because it receives very little precipitation. In many inland regions, snowfall is sparse, despite the enormous amount of ice accumulated over thousands of years. Cold air holds less moisture, helping create the continent’s extremely dry climate.

Antarctica is often overlooked because people commonly associate deserts with hot sand. The Sahara is the largest hot desert, but Antarctica is larger when all desert types are considered. The Arctic also contains polar desert environments, but it is an ocean surrounded by land rather than a continent covered by an ice sheet.

Most of Antarctica’s ice is concentrated in the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, while the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is more vulnerable to changes in climate and ocean conditions. Antarctica has no permanent native human population, though many countries operate scientific research stations there.