Antarctica

Antarctica claims second place with 14,000,000 km², despite having zero permanent population — only 1,300 researchers and staff reside there seasonally. It is 40% larger than Canada's 9,984,670 km², yet remains the coldest, windiest continent, with ice sheets averaging 2,160 meters thick. Antarctica's total area exceeds the European Union's combined landmass by 1.5 times.