Top 10 Largest Countries in the World by Land Area

When it comes to sheer size, a small group of countries dominates the world map. The ten largest countries together cover more than half of Earth's entire land surface. Whether you're a geography enthusiast or just curious about the world, knowing which countries are the biggest is one of the most fundamental pieces of geographic knowledge there is.

Here are the 10 largest countries in the world by total land area, measured in square kilometers.

#	Country	Area (km²)	Continent
1	Russia	17,098,242	Europe / Asia
2	Canada	9,984,670	North America
3	United States	9,372,610	North America
4	China	9,596,960	Asia
5	Brazil	8,515,767	South America
6	Australia	7,692,024	Oceania
7	India	3,287,263	Asia
8	Argentina	2,780,400	South America
9	Kazakhstan	2,724,900	Asia
10	Algeria	2,381,741	Africa

Russia: The Undisputed Giant

Russia is by far the largest country in the world, covering 17.1 million km² — more than twice the size of the next largest country. It spans eleven time zones and covers portions of both Europe and Asia. Russia is so large that it borders fourteen different countries and has coastline on three oceans: the Arctic, Pacific, and Atlantic (via the Baltic Sea).

Canada: Bigger Than You Think

Canada is the second largest country in the world at nearly 10 million km², yet it has a population of only around 38 million people — making it one of the most sparsely populated large nations on Earth. Much of Canada's northern territory is arctic tundra, which accounts for why so much land is uninhabited.

The USA vs. China: Almost Equal

The United States and China are remarkably close in total land area — both around 9.3–9.6 million km² depending on how measurements are taken. The exact ranking between them has been debated by geographers for decades, as it depends on whether disputed territories are included.

Brazil: South America's Giant

Brazil occupies nearly half of the entire South American continent at 8.5 million km². It is home to the Amazon rainforest — the world's largest tropical rainforest — which covers about 60% of the country and plays a critical role in regulating Earth's climate.

Australia: A Continent-Country

Australia is unique in that it is both a country and an entire continent. At 7.7 million km², it is the world's sixth largest country and the largest in Oceania. Despite its size, Australia has a population of only about 26 million, most of whom live in coastal cities.

Test Your Knowledge

Think you can identify these countries by their shape alone? In Size Matters, two country outlines are shown side by side and you have to pick the bigger one. It's a surprisingly challenging test of your geographic intuition.