How much of Antarctica’s land is covered by ice?

Approximately 98 percent of Antarctica’s bedrock is covered by thick ice.12

The continent, which spans about 14,200,000 square kilometers (5,500,000 square miles), contains the world’s largest ice sheet. While the vast majority of the land is buried under this ice, exposed rock areas—such as mountain ranges and isolated nunataks—total less than 200,000 square kilometers (77,200 square miles).12