Antarctica is the fifth-largest continent on Earth, covering about 14.2 million square kilometers (5.5 million square miles), including its islands and ice shelves. This makes it:
- Roughly twice the size of Australia (approximately 7.7 million square kilometers or 3 million square miles).
- Larger than Europe, which is about 10.2 million square kilometers.
- Larger than the contiguous United States and Mexico combined.
- About half the size of Africa (around 30.4 million square kilometers).
- About 30% the size of Asia, the largest continent.
Antarctica is notable for being mostly covered by ice, making it the largest ice desert on Earth, with ice sheets that contain the majority of the world's fresh water.
