About The Antarctic Desert: It may not look like a desert, but Antarctica is technically the largest desert on Earth. Geographers define a desert by how little precipitation falls, not by temperature, and the interior of Antarctica receives so little snowfall that it easily qualifies — making this frozen continent the biggest desert of all. A Desert Made of Ice — Despite being buried under ice, Antarctica meets every scientific definition of a desert.

Location: The continent of Antarctica · Area: ~14.2 million km² (5.5 million mi²) · Desert Type: A polar desert · Precipitation: Under 50 mm (2 in) per year inland · Temperature: Coldest place on Earth · Frozen Water: Holds ~70% of Earth's fresh water · Wildlife: Penguins & seals on the coasts · Territory: No single nation · Continent Rank: Largest desert on Earth