When you think of a desert, you probably imagine endless sand dunes and scorching heat, right? Well, let’s turn that image on its head—Antarctica is actually the largest desert on Earth! With its endless ice and frigid temperatures, it might not look like your typical desert, but it ticks all the boxes.

Wait... Antarctica Is a Desert?Yes! A desert is defined by how much precipitation it gets, not by sand or heat. Antarctica receives less than 20 millimeters (0.8 inches) of rain or snow annually in many areas, making it the driest continent on the planet. That’s even less precipitation than the Sahara Desert! In fact, some parts of Antarctica haven’t seen a drop of rain in millions of years. It's the ultimate dry zone—just in an ice-cold package.

Ice, Ice, Baby—But Not Much Water! Even though 98% of Antarctica is covered in ice, it still counts as a desert because that ice isn’t going anywhere fast. The little precipitation that does fall usually sticks around in frozen form, and it never really melts because it’s so cold. So, technically, it’s a desert of frozen water, with a landscape that’s as barren as it gets.

Antarctica holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded: a bone-chilling -128.6°F (-89.2°C)! The harsh climate and minimal precipitation make it almost impossible for anything to grow, so you won’t find cacti here—just hardy lichens and mosses that cling to rocks and patches of soil.

Instead of camels and scorpions, Antarctica’s desert residents are a quirky cast of creatures adapted to the cold. Penguins are the superstars here, waddling around like they own the place. You’ll also find seals, resilient krill, and some microscopic life that thrives in extreme conditions. It’s a different kind of desert ecosystem, but just as fascinating as those found in the sand.