Rankings
Largest Countries in the World by Area
50 countries ranked·Source: CIA World Factbook
Russia is the largest country in the world with over 17 million km², followed by Canada (9.98M km²) and the United States (9.83M km²). Together, the top 10 largest countries cover more than 50% of the Earth's total land area. Below you will find the complete ranking of the 50 biggest nations by total area.
Key Facts
- Russia is the largest country, covering 17.1 million km² across Europe and Asia.
- The top 3 countries (Russia, Canada, USA) together cover over 36.8 million km².
- Africa has the most countries in the top 50 by area, including Algeria (#10) and DR Congo (#11).
- Australia is the largest country that is also a continent, at 7.74 million km².
- The smallest country in the world is Vatican City at just 0.44 km².
Top 50 Largest Countries
| # | Countries | Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Russia | 17,098,242 km² |
| 2 |  Canada | 9,984,670 km² |
| 3 |  United States | 9,833,517 km² |
| 4 |  China | 9,596,960 km² |
| 5 |  Brazil | 8,515,770 km² |
| 6 |  Australia | 7,741,220 km² |
| 7 |  India | 3,287,263 km² |
| 8 |  Argentina | 2,780,400 km² |
| 9 |  Kazakhstan | 2,724,900 km² |
| 10 |  Algeria | 2,381,740 km² |
| 11 |  DRC | 2,344,858 km² |
| 12 |  Greenland | 2,166,086 km² |
| 13 |  Saudi Arabia | 2,149,690 km² |
| 14 |  Mexico | 1,964,375 km² |
| 15 |  Indonesia | 1,904,569 km² |
| 16 |  Sudan | 1,861,484 km² |
| 17 |  Libya | 1,759,540 km² |
| 18 |  Iran | 1,648,195 km² |
| 19 |  Mongolia | 1,564,116 km² |
| 20 |  Peru | 1,285,216 km² |
| 21 |  Angola | 1,246,700 km² |
| 22 |  Mali | 1,240,192 km² |
| 23 |  South Africa | 1,219,090 km² |
| 24 |  Colombia | 1,138,910 km² |
| 25 |  Ethiopia | 1,104,300 km² |
| 26 |  Bolivia | 1,098,581 km² |
| 27 |  Mauritania | 1,030,700 km² |
| 28 |  Egypt | 1,001,450 km² |
| 29 |  Tanzania | 947,300 km² |
| 30 |  Nigeria | 923,768 km² |
| 31 |  Venezuela | 912,050 km² |
| 32 |  Namibia | 824,292 km² |
| 33 |  Mozambique | 799,380 km² |
| 34 |  Pakistan | 796,095 km² |
| 35 |  Turkey | 783,562 km² |
| 36 |  Chile | 756,102 km² |
| 37 |  Zambia | 752,618 km² |
| 38 |  Morocco | 716,550 km² |
| 39 |  Burma | 676,578 km² |
| 40 |  Afghanistan | 652,230 km² |
| 41 |  South Sudan | 644,329 km² |
| 42 |  France | 643,801 km² |
| 43 |  Somalia | 637,657 km² |
| 44 |  Central African Republic | 622,984 km² |
| 45 |  Ukraine | 603,550 km² |
| 46 |  Madagascar | 587,041 km² |
| 47 |  Botswana | 581,730 km² |
| 48 |  Kenya | 580,367 km² |
| 49 |  Yemen | 527,968 km² |
| 50 |  Thailand | 513,120 km² |
What Does "Largest Country" Mean?
When we say "largest country," we refer to total area, which includes both land area and inland water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers). This is the standard measurement used by the CIA World Factbook and the United Nations. Some rankings use only land area, which excludes water — this can shift positions slightly. For example, China may rank above the United States by land area alone, but the US is larger when including water.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the largest country in the world?
Russia is the largest country in the world by total area, covering approximately 17.1 million km². It spans across Eastern Europe and Northern Asia, making it nearly twice the size of Canada, the second largest country.
What are the 10 largest countries in the world?
The 10 largest countries by area are: 1. Russia, 2. Canada, 3. United States, 4. China, 5. Brazil, 6. Australia, 7. India, 8. Argentina, 9. Kazakhstan, 10. Algeria. Together they cover over half of the world's total land area.
Is Russia the largest country in the world?
Yes, Russia is the largest country in the world by both total area (17.1M km²) and land area. It is approximately 1.8 times the size of Canada and covers 11 time zones from Kaliningrad to Kamchatka.
What is the largest country in each continent?
The largest country per continent: Asia — Russia (17.1M km²), Africa — Algeria (2.38M km²), North America — Canada (9.98M km²), South America — Brazil (8.51M km²), Europe — Ukraine (603K km², excluding Russia), Oceania — Australia (7.74M km²).
How is country size measured?
Country size is typically measured by total area (land + inland water) in square kilometers (km²). Some sources measure only land area, excluding bodies of water. The CIA World Factbook, which is our primary source, uses total area as the standard measurement.