The Largest Countries in the World

The worlds largest nations, measured in square kilometers of land area.

From Cape Horn all the way to the Arctic Circle, the world’s largest countries provide a beautiful snapshot of the variety of geography, climate, and wildlife on the planet. Collectively, the world’s largest countries contain rainforest and tundra, mountains and valleys, coastline and desert.
As this we explore the largest nations, we visit five different continents, some of the world’s most spectacular geography, and every type of climate imaginable.
Excitingly, it’s always changing, too: history has taught that geopolitical boundaries shift dramatically as the centuries pass. In the next decades, who’s to say which countries will become the world’s largest?
When 11.5 percent of all the land in the entire world is claimed by just one country, it’s not surprising to learn that the tenth largest country (Algeria) could fit into the largest (Russia) seven times over. When all 10 of the world's largest countries are taken together, they total 49% of the earth's entire 149 million square kilometres of land.

10 – Algeria

The Algerian Sahara, the largest expanse of Saharan desert.

Algeria, at 2.38 million square kilometers, is the tenth-largest country in the world by area and the only African country in the top 10.
Situated in Northern Africa, Algeria has a Mediterranean coastline 998 km long. 90 percent of the country is desert, and much of its desert regions are highly elevated. The Tell Atlas mountain range runs along the country’s northern border, while the interior, much of it hundreds of meters above sea level, contains the Algerian portion of the Sahara desert. The massive Algerian Sahara extends all the way to the south of the country past its borders with Niger and Mali.

9 – Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country.

Kazakhstan’s 2.72 million square kilometers stretch over vast plains and highlands. A cool and dry, but not quite desert, climate prevails for most of the year. Kazakhstanis experience a great range of temperatures throughout the year, though it doesn’t get as cold in Kazakhstan as it does in parts of its northern neighbor, Russia.
Formerly part of the USSR, the largest nation in the world for most of the 20th century, Kazakhstan’s current main claim to fame is its status as the largest landlocked country in the world—and the only landlocked country in the top 10.

8 – Argentina

Mount Fitz Roy in Patagonia, Argentina.

Argentina, the world’s 32^nd most populous country, is the world’s eighth largest, and the largest Spanish-speaking nation in the world by area. Its 2.78 million square kilometers include some of the most varied geography and climate in the world.
Swampy, tropical conditions in the very north give way to freezing glacial regions in the south. Patagonia, one of the most spectacular and dangerous places on the planet, stretches from the southern Andes in the west to the Atlantic Ocean in the east. The southern tip of Argentina, known as Cape Horn, is one of the stormiest locations on the globe.

7 – India

India is the second largest nation in terms of population, and seventh largest in terms of area.

India’s boundaries have changed quite a few times over the past century, and even still, India claims that the northern region of Kashmir (an area disputed with Pakistan) belongs under Indian control completely. As it stands, without Kashmir, India’s territory stretches for 3.29 million square kilometers.
China, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bhutan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal each share a border with India, and its geography ranges from the majestic Himalayan Mountains to the tropical shores of the southern peninsula. Geologically, India is found on its own subcontinent, and geological studies show that this whole nation and its close neighbors were at one time separated from Asia by a sea.

6 – Australia

The Twelve Apostles, Victoria State, Australia.

The approximately 4.4 million square kilometer difference between Australia and India represents the second-largest size difference between countries ranked consecutively in the top 10. Australia, at around 7.69 million square kilometers, is over twice the size of India.
It’s the largest country in Oceania by far. Technically it is so large that it doesn’t even qualify as an island, it is a continental landmass.
The vast majority of its population live in coastal cities like Sydney in the east and Perth in the west, and with good reason: the Australian Outback is one of the world’s driest and hottest regions. Along with extreme climate and geography, Australia is known for its spectacular—and often deadly—wildlife.

5 – Brazil

Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The largest country in South America at over 8.51 million square kilometers, Brazil plays home to much of the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon. The Amazon is so dense and vast that explorers and scientists have found human civilizations that had never made contact with the outside world.
Brazil also has a lengthy Atlantic coastline on the eastern side, which stretches approximately 8,000 km. Most of its major cities, including Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, exist near the coastline.

4 – People’s Republic of China

The Great Wall of China stretches along a long stretch of the northern border of China.

China, the United States of America, and Canada each occupy just under seven percent of the globe’s surface. Of these three, China is the smallest depending on what you factor at 9.6 million square kilometers. However that figure is not including disputed territories. In terms of just land area it is actually the 2nd biggest country in the world just United States and Canada have more area if you include water. It shares a border with 14 different countries, including Afghanistan to the west, Russia to the north, and Vietnam to the south. It is the largest country entirely in Asia.
Its climate and its people vary dramatically. In the north, temperatures drop to subarctic levels, the center of the nation holds the Gobi, the world’s 4^th largest desert, and in the south temperatures reach tropical levels regularly. With over 1.35 billion citizens, China is home to 56 recognized ethnic groups, has the world’s 18^th largest Muslim population, the 19^th largest Christian population, and with 1.9 doctors per 1000 people, China has more doctors than the entire population of Qatar.

3 – United States of America

Long meandering rivers of North Dakota cut through plains and canyons.

The United States, just bigger than China but slightly smaller than Canada, occupies 9.83 million square kilometers. If you factor out its terrtories it would be the 4th largest country after China. Bordered by Mexico to the south, and Canada to the north, the United States is home to a diverse array of geography and wildlife.
Two North-South features split the nation into three distinct pieces. West of the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific states are known for year-round temperate weather and long expanses of beach along the California coast. Sandwiched between the Rockies and the Mississippi River, the great plains stretch from Canada to Mexico, giving the United States one of the world's most fertile growing areas. Lastly, the third of the nation east of the Mississippi is the industrial and economic hub of America, with major cities spread all along the Eastern seaboard.

2 – Canada

The vast wilderness of Canada is popular for outdoor activity.

Canada’s 9.984 million square kilometers make it the largest country in the western hemisphere, and its 202,080-kilometer coastline means that it has a longer shoreline than any other nation. With a population density of 4 people per square kilometer, this means that each of Canada's 35 million people could have 61 acres for themselves.
Positioned between the Arctic and the United States, Canada’s massive frozen tundra extends into the Arctic Circle. Split similar to the USA; in the western half of the country, the Rocky Mountains run north to south, and prairies provide huge grain and canola growing areas. Eastern Canada is the traditional heart of the nation, with Toronto, Montreal, and the national capital of Ottawa, all located in the East.

1 – Russia

The landscape of Siberia, Russia.

Russia’s 17.1 million square kilometres easily make it the world’s largest by area. In fact, if Russia were to lop off 7 million square kilometers, it would still be the largest—and the lopped-off section would rank seventh overall! It represents equivalent to 11% of the worlds landmass.
Like China, Russia borders 14 different countries. Unlike China, none of Russia is tropical, though humid summers prevail in much of southern Russia. The Taiga, the world’s largest terrestrial biome, extends all the way from Eastern Canada throughout the vast majority of northern Russia. Massive oil reserves exist underneath Russia’s frozen forests and tundra; however, due to the expense and difficulty of extracting it, much of Russia’s oil wealth remains untapped.

What's the Biggest Country in the World?

The largest country in the world is Russia, with a size of 17 million square kilometers. Russia represents a total of 11% of the world's total area. After Russia, the world's largest countries are Canada, the United States, China, Brazil, and Australia.

50 Largest Countries in the World By Area

Rank	Country	Area sq.km
1	Russia	17,098,242
2	Canada	9,984,670
3	United States (including territories)	9,833,517
4	China	9,596,961
5	Brazil	8,515,767
6	Australia	7,692,024
7	India	3,287,263
8	Argentina	2,780,400
9	Kazakhstan	2,724,900
10	Algeria	2,381,741
11	Congo, Democratic Republic of the	2,344,858
12	Greenland (Denmark)	2,166,086
13	Saudi Arabia	2,149,690
14	Mexico	1,964,375
15	Indonesia	1,904,569
16	Sudan	1,861,484
17	Libya	1,759,540
18	Iran	1,648,195
19	Mongolia	1,564,116
20	Peru	1,285,216
21	Chad	1,284,000
22	Niger	1,267,000
23	Angola	1,246,700
24	Mali	1,240,192
25	South Africa	1,219,090
26	Colombia	1,138,910
27	Ethiopia	1,104,300
28	Bolivia	1,098,581
29	Mauritania	1,030,700
30	Egypt	1,001,450
31	Tanzania	947,300
32	Nigeria	923,768
33	Venezuela	912,050
34	Namibia	824,292
35	Mozambique	799,380
36	Pakistan	796,095
37	Turkey	783,562
38	Chile	756,102
39	Zambia	752,618
40	Burma	676,578
41	Afghanistan	652,230
42	South Sudan	644,329
43	France	643,801
44	Somalia	637,657
45	Central African Republic	622,984
46	Ukraine	603,550
47	Madagascar	587,041
48	Botswana	581,730
49	Kenya	580,367
50	Yemen	527,968