This is world's largest desert, answer will you SHOCKED, not Sahara, it is...

Internet users woke up to an interesting revelation when Google's campaign ruled out ‘Sahara’ as the best possible answer to the world’s largest desert. Desert, technically, is a land area that is dry and receives less than 10 inches of annual precipitation. Its definition leaves one thinking of sand dunes, less vegetation, and an isolated place in mind, however, what remained surprising was that it can be covered with ice.

Google users were left baffled when they learnt that the Sahara is not the largest desert but Antarctica. The question popped up during Google’s Googlies campaign, an engaging initiative that turns intriguing searches into a fun, gamified experience. Recently, the ‘Googly’ answer surprised users with a piece of trivia that Antarctica is the world’s largest desert. A Google overview stated, “A desert is a land area that receives very little rainfall, typically less than 10 inches a year, making it an arid ecosystem with sparse vegetation due to the extreme dryness.” 

The search engine further stated, “Antarctica receives an average of 6.5 inches precipitation per year, mostly as snow. The interior is drier, receiving less than 2 inches per year, while the coastal regions receive more than 8 inches.” The continent Antarctica is classified as a polar desert, which is covered with icebergs instead of sand dunes. It is one of the driest places on Earth, drier than the Sahara Desert. Its McMurdo Dry Valleys are among the driest and windiest ecosystems on the planet. 

Antarctica accounts for 9.4 per cent of Earth’s total land area, much above The Sahara, which covers around 8 per cent of the terrestrial surface. It is also about twice the size of Australia. Its population varies with season, around 5,000 people in the summer to 1,000 in the winter. It holds significance in science owing to its profound effect on the Earth's climate and ocean systems.