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🐧
🌵 Deserts
🌍 Antarctic Desert
Earth's largest desert by area — 14.2 million km² of ice and cold
Antarctica 1820 Deserts
🌵 Key Facts
1
Largest desert on Earth at 14.2 million km² — larger than the Sahara
2
Receives less than 200 mm of precipitation per year — qualifies as a cold desert
3
Holds 70% of Earth's fresh water; average ice thickness 2.16 km; deepest ice 4.78 km
Antarctica holds 70% of Earth's fresh water locked in ice — if it melted, seas would rise 60 m
Quick Reference
Category
🌵 Deserts
Country / Region
🌍 Antarctica
Key Year
1820
About
Earth's largest desert by area — 14.2 million km² of ice and cold