The Antarctic Desert, spanning approximately 14 million square kilometers, is the world's largest desert.
Antarctica's classification as a desert stems from its minimal precipitation, averaging under 50 millimeters annually, rather than its cold temperature.
Deserts are characterized by arid conditions, not by heat.
While the Sahara is the largest hot desert, the Antarctic Desert is the largest overall. The Gobi and Kalahari are also large deserts but are surpassed in size by the Antarctic Desert.