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Largest Countries in the World 2024

What are the largest countries in the world? The answers may surprise you. Maps can be misleading, so they're especially unhelpful for size comparisons. A much more accurate solution is to compare the actual area of each country. Area is typically measured in either square miles (mi²) or square kilometers (km²)—though, in certain circumstances (especially agricultural uses), hectares may also be also used.

Every country actually has two different measurements of area: land area, which is the area of all the land—and only land—in a given country and total area, sometimes referred to as Country area, which includes a country's land area as well as all the area taken up by lakes, reservoirs, inland rivers, and sometimes coastal and territorial waters.

For some countries, the difference between these two measurements is significant. For example:

CountryLand Area (km²)Total Area (km²)
Canada8,965,5909,879,750
United States9,147,4209,831,510

Note that the U.S. has a greater land area. But once Canada's more than two million lakes and inland waterways are added in, it takes the prize as the larger (and presumably wetter) of the two countries.

Top 10 Largest Countries in the World (by total area km²):

Country
Area (km²)
Russia11.52%
Canada6.73%
China6.54%
United States6.31%
Brazil5.74%
Australia5.18%
India2.21%
Argentina1.87%
Kazakhstan1.84%
Algeria1.6%

Not surprisingly, the largest country in the world is Russia, which spans a vast 17,098,250 km² across Eastern Europe and Asia. This is followed by Canada (9,879,750 km²) and its aforementioned two million lakes. The country ranked third changes depending upon the source of the comparison. Encyclopedia Britannica gives the third slot to China (9,600,013 km²) and places the United States in fourth. However, other sources, such as the United Nations and the CIA World Factbook, display a larger area for the U.S. and rank it above China.

The difference between the high and low estimates for the U.S. appears to be because one includes coastal and territorial waters, but the other does not. However, considering China's area does not seem to include coastal and territorial waters, and the U.S. is smaller than China until those waters are added to the mix, we'd give the nod to China. Source-to-source discrepancies such as this are common, even understandable. Determining the precise area of a sizable and irregularly shaped landmass is no small task, and there are no universally accepted guidelines for completing it. Some countries may measure their area using satellite surveys, and others may rely upon mathematical computations and manual estimates. Moreover, different countries have different philosophies regarding the inclusion of areas such as overseas territories, disputed regions, and (as mentioned above) various bodies of water. Whichever countries are third- and fourth-largest, South America's largest country, Brazil (8,515,770 km²), has a lock on fifth place. The only country in the world with the exact same name as its continent, Australia (7,714,220 km²), rounds out the top six.

Technically, the largest country in both Asia and Europe is Russia. However, because Russia is considered a European country in terms of culture and population, many sources designate Russia as the largest European country and grant the title of Asia's largest country to China. After Russia, the second-largest country in Europe is another judgment call: If considering the area of the mainland only, Ukraine's 603,550 km² would be the second-largest area. However, if one counts not only mainland France but also its overseas departments (such as Martinique and Mayotte), its area swells to 640,679 km², giving France the edge. Africa's largest country is Algeria (2,381,741 km²).

The smallest countries in the world are predominantly in Europe, Oceania, and the Americas. Vatican City is the smallest country in the world at a tiny 0.44 km², followed by Monaco at 2.02 km², both in Europe. Next are Nauru (21 km²) and Tuvalu (26 km²), both island countries in Oceania. The smallest country in the Americas is another island country, Saint Kitts and Nevis, which has an area of only 261 km².

Finally, what if the phrase "largest country" is actually a reference to a country's population rather than its physical size? The countries with the largest populations on Earth are (in order): China, India, the United States, Indonesia, and Pakistan.

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Country
Area (km²)
% of Earth's Area
Continent
Russia11.52%11.52%AsiaEurope
Canada6.73%6.73%North America
China6.54%6.54%Asia
United States6.31%6.31%North America
Brazil5.74%5.74%South America
Australia5.18%5.18%Oceania
India2.21%2.21%Asia
Argentina1.87%1.87%South America
Kazakhstan1.84%1.84%Asia
Algeria1.6%1.6%Africa
DR Congo1.58%1.58%Africa
Greenland1.46%1.46%North America
Saudi Arabia1.45%1.45%Asia
Mexico1.32%1.32%North America
Indonesia1.28%1.28%Asia
Sudan1.27%1.27%Africa
Libya1.19%1.19%Africa
Iran1.11%1.11%Asia
Mongolia1.05%1.05%Asia
Peru0.87%0.87%South America
Chad0.86%0.86%Africa
Niger0.85%0.85%Africa
Angola0.84%0.84%Africa
Mali0.84%0.84%Africa
South Africa0.82%0.82%Africa
Colombia0.77%0.77%South America
Ethiopia0.74%0.74%Africa
Bolivia0.74%0.74%South America
Mauritania0.69%0.69%Africa
Egypt0.68%0.68%Africa
Tanzania0.64%0.64%Africa
Nigeria0.62%0.62%Africa
Venezuela0.62%0.62%South America
Pakistan0.59%0.59%Asia
Namibia0.56%0.56%Africa
Mozambique0.54%0.54%Africa
Turkey0.53%0.53%Asia
Chile0.51%0.51%South America
Zambia0.51%0.51%Africa
Myanmar0.46%0.46%Asia
Afghanistan0.44%0.44%Asia
Somalia0.43%0.43%Africa
Central African Republic0.42%0.42%Africa
South Sudan0.42%0.42%Africa
Ukraine0.41%0.41%Europe
Madagascar0.4%0.4%Africa
Botswana0.39%0.39%Africa
Kenya0.39%0.39%Africa
France0.37%0.37%Europe
Yemen0.36%0.36%Asia
Thailand0.35%0.35%Asia
Spain0.34%0.34%Europe
Turkmenistan0.33%0.33%Asia
Cameroon0.32%0.32%Africa
Papua New Guinea0.31%0.31%Oceania
Sweden0.3%0.3%Europe
Uzbekistan0.3%0.3%Asia
Morocco0.3%0.3%Africa
Iraq0.3%0.3%Asia
Paraguay0.27%0.27%South America
Zimbabwe0.26%0.26%Africa
Japan0.25%0.25%Asia
Germany0.24%0.24%Europe
Philippines0.23%0.23%Asia
Republic of the Congo0.23%0.23%Africa
Finland0.23%0.23%Europe
Vietnam0.22%0.22%Asia
Malaysia0.22%0.22%Asia
Norway0.22%0.22%Europe
Ivory Coast0.22%0.22%Africa
Poland0.21%0.21%Europe
Oman0.21%0.21%Asia
Italy0.2%0.2%Europe
Ecuador0.19%0.19%South America
Burkina Faso0.18%0.18%Africa
New Zealand0.18%0.18%Oceania
Gabon0.18%0.18%Africa
Western Sahara0.18%0.18%Africa
Guinea0.17%0.17%Africa
United Kingdom0.16%0.16%Europe
Uganda0.16%0.16%Africa
Ghana0.16%0.16%Africa
Romania0.16%0.16%Europe
Laos0.16%0.16%Asia
Guyana0.14%0.14%South America
Belarus0.14%0.14%Europe
Kyrgyzstan0.13%0.13%Asia
Senegal0.13%0.13%Africa
Syria0.12%0.12%Asia
Cambodia0.12%0.12%Asia
Uruguay0.12%0.12%South America
Suriname0.11%0.11%South America
Tunisia0.11%0.11%Africa
Bangladesh< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Nepal< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Tajikistan< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Greece< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Nicaragua< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
North Korea< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Malawi< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Eritrea< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Benin< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Honduras< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Liberia< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Bulgaria< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Cuba< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Guatemala< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Iceland< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
South Korea< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Hungary< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Portugal< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Jordan< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Serbia< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Azerbaijan< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Austria< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
United Arab Emirates< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
French Guiana< 0.1%< 0.1%South America
Czech Republic< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Panama< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Sierra Leone< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Ireland< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Georgia< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Sri Lanka< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Lithuania< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Latvia< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Togo< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Croatia< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Bosnia and Herzegovina< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Costa Rica< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Slovakia< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Dominican Republic< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Estonia< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Denmark< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Netherlands< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Switzerland< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Bhutan< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Taiwan< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Guinea Bissau< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Moldova< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Belgium< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Lesotho< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Armenia< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Solomon Islands< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Albania< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Equatorial Guinea< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Burundi< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Haiti< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Rwanda< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
North Macedonia< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Djibouti< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Belize< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
El Salvador< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Israel< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Slovenia< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
New Caledonia< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Fiji< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Kuwait< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Eswatini< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Timor Leste< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Bahamas< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Montenegro< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Vanuatu< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Falkland Islands< 0.1%< 0.1%South America
Qatar< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Jamaica< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Gambia< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Lebanon< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Cyprus< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Puerto Rico< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Palestine< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Brunei< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Trinidad and Tobago< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
French Polynesia< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Cape Verde< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Samoa< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Luxembourg< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Reunion< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Mauritius< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Comoros< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Guadeloupe< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Faroe Islands< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Martinique< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Hong Kong< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Sao Tome and Principe< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Turks and Caicos Islands< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Kiribati< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Bahrain< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Dominica< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Tonga< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Singapore< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Micronesia< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Saint Lucia< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Isle of Man< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Guam< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Andorra< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Northern Mariana Islands< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Palau< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Seychelles< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
Curacao< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Antigua and Barbuda< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Barbados< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Mayotte< 0.1%< 0.1%Africa
United States Virgin Islands< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Grenada< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Malta< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Maldives< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Wallis and Futuna< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Cayman Islands< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Saint Kitts and Nevis< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Niue< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Saint Pierre and Miquelon< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Cook Islands< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
American Samoa< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Marshall Islands< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Aruba< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Liechtenstein< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
British Virgin Islands< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Jersey< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Montserrat< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Anguilla< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Guernsey< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
San Marino< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Bermuda< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Saint Martin< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Sint Maarten< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Macau< 0.1%< 0.1%Asia
Tuvalu< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Nauru< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Saint Barthelemy< 0.1%< 0.1%North America
Tokelau< 0.1%< 0.1%Oceania
Gibraltar< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Monaco< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
Vatican City< 0.1%< 0.1%Europe
showing: 234 rows

What are the 10 largest countries in the world?

The 10 countries with the largest area are Russia, Canada, China, the United States, Brazil, Australia, India, Argentina, Kazakhstan, and Algeria.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Land Area - United Nations FAOSTAT 2019
  2. List of the total areas of the world's countries, dependencies, and territories - Britannica
  3. Countries JSON Database
  4. Surface Area - United Nations Statistical Yearbook 2012
  5. Countries and dependencies by area - Wiki

Sources