Does Antarctica have the largest desert in the world?

Answer 1

The definition of a desert is - no permanent surface water, no regular rainfall. Antarctica easily qualifies as a desert and, at 14 million sq km, is easily the biggest desert in the world, although not your typical desert. Because Antarctica is a "polar" region, there is no precipitation, it has no lakes or rivers and is in fact the driest continent. The interior of Antarctica is considered the world's driest desert because the extreme cold freezes water vapour out of the air. Annual snowfall on the polar plateau is equivalent to less than 5 cm of rain.

Answer 2

Almost all of the interior of Antarctica, as much as 4 million square miles, is considered a desert, because the quantity of annual precipitation is very low. The Antarctic Peninsula (south of South America) and some regions south of Australia get considerable precipitation, but the average for the entire continent is just 6.5 inches per year; one figure used as a classification for deserts is less than 10 inches annually.

Answer 3

The largest desert in the world is Antarctica. The Sahara is the second largest desert but the largest hot desert.

Answer 4

Antarctica is the largest desert on earth followed by the Sahara.

Answer 5

Yes, Antarctica is the largest desert in the world.

Answer 6

Antarctica is the largest desert in the world.