Big numbers have always fascinated mankind, and if these numbers feed national pride, then even more so. It is an honor to be the largest country in Europe, but it is a hundred times more honor to occupy one of the largest territories by world standards. What is the largest country in the world? Readers will find out the answer from our rating, which lists largest countries in the world.

10. Algeria (2.4 million km 2)

The largest country in Africa opens the top 10 largest countries by area. Almost 80% of the territory of Algeria is occupied by the Sahara desert, so the most inhabited part of the country is the coast. Algiers also boasts the deepest cave on the African continent - Anu Ifflis, whose depth is 1170 meters.

9. Kazakhstan (2.7 million km2)

The second place among the CIS countries and the ninth in the world in terms of occupied territory is given to Kazakhstan - the largest state among the Turkic-speaking countries. And it is also the largest country in the world without access to the oceans. But Kazakhstan did not remain completely without seas - on its territory there are two large inland seas, the Caspian and Aral Seas, the first of which is considered the largest closed reservoir on Earth.

8. Argentina (2.8 million km2)

The eighth number among the largest countries in the world is Argentina - the second largest state in Latin America. In terms of population, it is second only to Brazil and Colombia.

7. India (3.3 million km2)

Although India occupies only the seventh place in terms of territory, it is in second position in terms of population. More than 1.3 billion people live on the territory of India in 3.3 million km 2, and according to statistics, the population continues to increase. There are 357 people per km2 in India!

6. Australia (7.7 million km 2)

If India entirely occupies its own peninsula, then Australia has its own continent. The total area of ​​Australia is 5.9 million km 2 (in total, the country accounts for 5% of the total above-water surface of the Earth), and only 24 million people live on it. It is the largest country in Oceania. And Australia is famous for its quality of life - in the ranking of the Human Development Index, the homeland of the kangaroo is in second place.

5. Brazil (8.5 million km2)

The largest state in Latin America has an area of ​​8.5 million km 2, on which 2.67% of the total population of the earth is relatively spacious, namely more than 205 million people. Thanks to these criteria, Brazil is considered the largest Catholic country in the world. The Amazon River, the largest river in the world, flows through Brazil.

4. USA (9.5 million km 2)

The area of ​​the USA is 9.5 million km 2, and the population is 325 million people (fourth place on the planet, second only to India and China). Due to its size and extent, the United States is the only country in the world that boasts a full range of climatic zones on its territory, from the tropics to the arctic tundra.

3. China (9.6 million km2)

Big state - big population. Although China is in third place in terms of area (or rather, the United States and China dispute the third and fourth places, depending on whether the disputed territories belong to China or not), but in terms of population, it has long been in first place - on a territory of 9.6 million km2 is inhabited by 1.38 billion people. However, it is possible that India will soon become the leader in terms of population, as China has entered a phase of the second demographic transition, characterized by a decline in the birth rate. As of December 2016, India is only 82 million behind China.

2. Canada (10 million km 2)

The largest country in America. It is interesting that the second largest state in the world, in terms of population, is only in 38th place - 36 million people live on an area of ​​​​9.98 million km2. The Canadian population density is only 3.41 people per km2. 75% of Canada is located in the north, and the largest number of the population is in the south of the country, which is more favorable in terms of climate.

1. Russia (17.1 million km2)

And the largest country in the world in terms of territory is still Russia, its total area is 17 million km 2. The length of Russia's border is almost 61 thousand kilometers, and thanks to this length, it borders on eighteen other countries. 146.5 million people live on 1/6 of the land (the ninth position in the world in terms of population). The climatic diversity of Russia is second only to the United States - from the Arctic climate zone to the subtropical one.

The list of countries by area is a single table that includes all the countries and territories of the planet Earth, ordered according to their surface area. For the unambiguity of the figures, the article cites data from the Central Information Agency World Factbook. Statistical figures from other sources may differ slightly from these figures.

General remarks on the list of countries by area

This list represents only those figures of the surface area of ​​the countries of the world that are recognized by the world community as belonging to a particular state on legal grounds. It should also be noted that for most states, inland waters belonging to them are included in the numbers of an ordered list of countries of the world by area, but if the area of ​​these waters is such that it significantly distorts the result for this state, then it is not taken into account when compiling index for this country.

Ten largest countries in the world by area

Before starting the list of countries by area, it should be said that the entire surface area of ​​​​the globe is 510.072 million km 2. Of these, 359.685 million km 2 are oceans, that is, 70.5% of our planet is covered with water. As a result, the area of ​​all continents is 150.386 million km2.

The top ten from the list of countries by area of ​​their territory is given below (in brackets - the value of the area of ​​this state in millions of square kilometers):

1. The Russian Federation (17,098) is the largest country in the world, which is located on the territories of Europe and Asia.
2. Canada (9.985) is the largest state of both American continents and the western hemisphere of the Earth.
3. China (9,597).
4. Brazil (8,515) is the largest country in South America.
5. Australia (7,741) is the largest country in Oceania and also the largest island nation.
6. India (3.287) is the largest country in South Asia.
7. Argentina (2,780) is the largest country in Hispano-America.
8. Kazakhstan (2.725) is the largest landlocked country in the world.
9. Algeria (2.382) is the largest country in the Arab world and the African continent.

Thus, the area of ​​Russia is almost twice the area of ​​Canada, which ranks second in the list of countries in terms of area. It should be noted that on the two American continents, which are smaller in area than the area of ​​Eurasia, there are already 3 countries, the area of ​​​​each of which exceeds 8 million square kilometers, while there are only two such countries in Eurasia.

Ten smallest countries in the world

Here is a list of countries by area that occupy the last 10 places, that is, they are the smallest countries in the world (in parentheses are the area values ​​\u200b\u200bfor the respective countries in square kilometers):

1. The Vatican City State (0.44) is the smallest sovereign state in Europe and the world that is landlocked.
2. Monaco (2) is the smallest landlocked country in the world.
3. Nauru (21) is the smallest country in Oceania and the smallest island nation in the world.
4. Tuvalu (26) is a small state in Oceania, located on an island.
5. San Marino (61) is a small state that is located inside Italy.
6. Liechtenstein (160) is the 4th smallest state in the list of countries by area in Europe and the 6th in the world.
7. The Marshall Islands (181) are small islands located in the North Pacific Ocean.
8. San Cristobal and Nieves (261) is the smallest country in America.
9. Maldives (298) is the smallest state in Asia.
10. Malta (316) - this island country is located in the Mediterranean Sea.

Today there are over 200 countries in the world. It is also necessary to pay attention to the fact that all states are divided on the basis of "independence" and participation in the UN.

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Let us consider in more detail the list of countries that differ not only in culture, but also in area, together with the population in 2020.

What you need to know

In 2020, there are about 250 countries and territories on the planet at the same time.

Some of them have a significant area, while others have a distinctive feature - a minimum area and a significantly low population.

It is no longer a secret to anyone that most of the planet falls on numerous:

• oceans;
• seas;
• rivers and lakes in particular.

In total, they occupy over 70% of the entire planet, and the other 30% - only land, which is inhabited by mankind.

At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that over 40% is an area that is included in the largest and most developed countries in the world. As of 2020, there are about 10 of them.

List of states in descending order (table)

As noted above, there are a huge number of states on the planet, differing from each other in the occupied area and population.

They are conditionally subdivided:

• to the largest
• and the smallest.

To eliminate the possibility of various misunderstandings, we will consider each category separately.

The biggest

In 2020, the top 10 largest countries in the world include such states as:

Country name	Occupied area of ​​the territory	Population	Distinctive features
Russia	About 17,120,000 sq. km	146 million	The country includes: 46 subjects; 22 Republics; about 17 districts.
Canada	9,980,000 sq. km	36.1 million citizens	The territory of the country is washed by: Atlantic; Quiet; as well as the Arctic Ocean. Canada includes a huge number of attractions that annually attract millions of tourists from all over the world.
Republic of China	About 9,600,000 sq. km	1.3 billion	It is rightfully considered the largest country in terms of population. In addition to a well-developed industry, the country is also distinguished by a huge number of numerous attractions.
America	Approximately 9,500,000 sq. km	325.1 million	America includes about 50 states and only one district - Columbia. Annually receives over 5 million tourists from all over the world
Brazil	About 8,500,000 sq. km	203.3 million	The largest country in Latin America. Known worldwide for numerous festivals
Australia	Approximately 7,600,000 sq. km	24.1 million citizens	Famous for the famous Sydney Opera and of course a considerable number of kangaroos
India	About 3,330,000 sq. km	1.3 billion	Thanks to a well-developed infrastructure, the country is actively moving forward in terms of population growth. It is not excluded that even China will be surpassed in this matter.
Argentina	About 2,740,000 sq. km	43.8 million citizens	Includes the famous Iguazu Park, which attracts millions of tourists
Kazakhstan	Approximately 2,700,000 sq. km	18.1 million citizens	Baikonur, the first spaceport in the world, is located on the territory of Kazakhstan
Algeria	About 2,380,000 sq. km	40.4 million	The largest country in Africa

From the above, it follows that the 5 largest countries of the species are as follows:

• Russia;
• India;
• Republic of China;
• America;
• and Brazil.

Not taking into account the difficult political situation in the world, and constant military conflicts cannot affect the fact that countries in terms of area in the world change in any way.

This is largely due to the fact that military operations carry a one-time nature and are aimed only at intimidation, but nothing more.

The smallest

Many citizens know only about the largest countries in the world, but know nothing about those who exactly belong to the smallest.

For this reason, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the list of the smallest Republics, starting from the continents in 2020:

Name of the continent	Name of the smallest Republic	Area occupied in square kilometers
Asia	The Maldives is officially the smallest republic.	About 300
Australia	Considered to be Nauru	According to official sources 21
African continent	In Africa, the Seychelles are considered the smallest in terms of territory.	Based on the latest official data - 422
Europe	Officially, the smallest Republic is the Order of Malta.	By right, the territory is considered the smallest on the entire planet. Its area is only 0.012
North America	On the continent, St. Kitts and Noris are considered the smallest	Based on the latest official sources, the figures are - 261
South America	In this case, we are talking about Suriname.	It is considered a potential contender for the annulment of the status of the smallest country on the entire planet. This is largely due to the fact that the indicators are, as of 2020, about 163,821

In addition, do not forget that on the planet there are also the smallest cities, settlements that cannot call themselves densely populated.

Moreover, on the territory of the planet there is a city in which only 1 person officially lives.

Among the smallest cities it is customary to distinguish:

Buford is a settlement in which only 1 person officially lives	It is located in the US state of Wyoming. Speaking about the occupied area, it is about 40 thousand square kilometers.
Hum is considered to be the second largest city in terms of population.	Located on the territory of Croatia. The settlement is rightfully considered a fortress, and the location is only 14 kilometers from Buzet. The official population is only 17 people
On the territory of the city of Rabstein, located in the Czech Republic	According to official figures, only 20 people live, but this does not prevent them from feeling great and continuing to develop.
The fourth largest city in terms of population is considered to be Melnik, which is located on the territory of Bulgaria.	The official area is about 50 square kilometers. As of early 2020, the population is only 390 people. At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the city is known for high-quality tobacco of its own production and winemaking.
The city of Kallaste, which is located in Estonia, completes the five smallest settlements.	Its officially established area is only 1.9 square kilometers. The settlement is rightfully considered amazing, because it is located on the shores of the world-famous Lake Peipsi

Speaking of Russia, Chekalin is considered to be the smallest city on its territory. According to the latest official data, about 994 people live on its territory.

Video: the real size of states

At the same time, statistics show that the number of people living in Chekalin is growing. For this reason, the number may increase significantly in the future.

20. Peru is a state in South America. The capital is Lima. Area - 1,285,220 km². It is the third largest country in South America.

19. Mongolia is a state in Central Asia. The capital is Ulaanbaatar. Area - 1,564,116 km².

18. Iran - a state in southwest Asia. The capital is the city of Tehran. Area - 1,648,000 km².

17. Libya - a state in North Africa on the Mediterranean coast. The capital is Tripoli. Area - 1,759,540 km².

16. Sudan is a state in East Africa. Khartoum. Area - 1,886,068 km².

15. Indonesia - a state in Southeast Asia. The capital is Jakarta. Area - 1,919,440 km².

14. Mexico - a state in North America. The capital is Mexico City. Area - 1,972,550 km².

13. Saudi Arabia is the largest state on the Arabian Peninsula. The capital is Riyadh. Area - 2,149,000 km².

12. Denmark is a state in Northern Europe, a senior member of the commonwealth of states, the Kingdom of Denmark, which also includes the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The capital is Copenhagen. Area - 2,210,579 km².

The territory of the island of Greenland is 98% of the territory of the Kingdom of Denmark

11. Democratic Republic of the Congo - a state in Central Africa. The capital is Kinshasa. Area - 2,345,410 km².

10. Algeria - a state in North Africa in the western Mediterranean basin. The capital is Algiers. Area - 2,381,740 km². Algeria is the largest country in Africa by area.

9. Kazakhstan is a state located in the center of Eurasia, most of which belongs to Asia, and a smaller part to Europe. The capital is Astana. Area - 2,724,902 km².

Kazakhstan is the largest country that does not have access to the oceans.

8. Argentina - a state located in the southeastern part of the mainland of South America, the eastern part of the island of Tierra del Fuego, the nearby islands of Estados and others. The capital is Buenos Aires. Area - 2,766,890 km².

7. India - a state in South Asia. The capital is New Delhi. Area - 3,287,263 km².

6. Australia - a state in the Southern Hemisphere, occupying mainland Australia, the island of Tasmania and several other islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The capital is Canberra. Area - 7,692,024 km².

5. Brazil - located in the eastern and central part of mainland South America. The largest state in South America by area and population. The capital is Brasilia. Area - 8,514,877 km².

The only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas.

4. USA - a state in North America. The capital is Washington. Area - 9,519,431 km².

3. China is a state in East Asia. The capital is Beijing. Area - 9,598,077 km².

China is the largest country in the world by population - over 1.35 billion people.

2. Canada is a state in North America. The capital is Ottawa. Area - 9,984,670 km².

1. Russia is a state in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Moscow the capital. The area of ​​Russia, taking into account the two new regions of Crimea and Sevastopol, for 2014 is 17,126,122 km².

Russia is the largest state in terms of area both in Europe and Asia.

The largest states by area by continent

• Asia - Russia (the area of ​​the Asian part of Russia is 13.1 million km²)
• Europe - Russia (the area of ​​the European part of Russia is 3.986 million km²)
• Africa - Algeria (area 2.38 million km²)
• South America - Brazil (area 8.51 million km²)
• North America - Canada (area 9.98 million km²)
• Australia and Oceania - Australia (area 7.69 million km²)

Largest countries by population

1. People's Republic of China - 1,366,659,000
2. India - 1,256,585,000
3. USA - 317,321,000
4. Indonesia - 249 866 000
5. Brazil - 201 017 953
6. Pakistan - 186 977 027
7. Nigeria - 173,615,000
8. Bangladesh - 156 529 084
9. Russia - 146,048,500 (including Crimea and Sevastopol)
10. Japan - 127,100,000
11. Mexico - 119 713 203
12. Philippines - 99 798 635
13. Ethiopia - 93 877 025
14. Vietnam - 92 477 857
15. Egypt - 85,402,000
16. Germany - 80 523 746
17. Iran - 77 549 005
18. Türkiye - 76 667 864
19. Thailand - 70 498 494
20. Democratic Republic of the Congo - 67,514,000

33% of the world's population lives in China and India (1st and 2nd places), another 33% in the following 15 countries (from 3rd to 17th places)

Largest states by population by continent

• Asia - China (1,366,659,000)
• Europe - Russia (population of the European part of Russia - 114,200,000)
• Africa - Nigeria (173,615,000)
• South America - Brazil (201 017 953)
• North America - USA (317,321,000)
• Australia and Oceania - Australia (24,104,000)

01/16/2016 at 05:17 pm pavlofox · 84 000

Top 10 largest countries by area in the world

On our entire planet, there are about 200 countries and territories that are located on 148,940,000 sq. km of land. Some of the states occupy a small area (Monaco 2 sq. km), while others spread over several million square kilometers. It is noteworthy that the largest states occupied about 50% of the land.

10. Algiers | 2,382,740 sq. km.

(ANDR) ranks tenth among the largest countries in the world and is the largest state on the African continent. The capital of the state is called the country - Algiers. The area of ​​the state is 2,381,740 sq. km. It is washed by the Mediterranean Sea, and most of the territory is occupied by the largest desert in the world, the Sahara.

9. Kazakhstan | 2,724,902 sq. km.

It ranks ninth in the ranking of countries with the largest territory. Its area is 2,724,902 sq. km. This is the largest state that does not have access to the oceans. The country owns part of the Caspian Sea and the inland Aral Sea. Kazakhstan has land borders with four Asian countries and Russia. The border area with Russia is one of the longest in the world. Most of the territory is occupied by deserts and steppes. The population of the country as of 2016 is 17,651,852 people. The capital is the city of Astana - one of the most populated in Kazakhstan.

8. Argentina | 2,780,400 sq. km.

(2,780,400 sq. km.) belongs to the eighth place among the largest countries in the world and the second place in South America. The capital of the state, Buenos Aires is the largest city in Argentina. The territory of the country is stretched from north to south. This causes a variety of natural and climatic zones. The Andes mountain system stretches along the western border, the Atlantic Ocean washes the eastern part. The north of the country is located in a subtropical climate, in the south there are cold deserts with severe weather conditions. The name of Argentina was given in the 16th century by the Spaniards, who assumed that its bowels contain a large amount of silver (argentum - translated as silver). The colonists were wrong, there was very little silver.

7. India | 3,287,590 sq. km.

It is located on an area of ​​3,287,590 sq. km. She takes second place by population(1,283,455,000 people), yielding primacy to China and seventh place among the largest states in the world. Its shores are washed by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. The country got its name from the Indus River, on the banks of which the first settlements appeared. Before British colonization, India was the richest country in the world. It was there that Columbus sought to get in search of wealth, but ended up in America. The official capital of the country is New Delhi.

6. Australia | 7,686,859 sq. km.

(Union of Australia) is located on the mainland of the same name and occupies its entire territory. The state also occupies the island of Tasmania and other islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The total area on which Australia is located is 7,686,850 sq. km. The capital of the state is the city of Canberra - the largest in Australia. Most of the country's water bodies are salty. The largest salt lake is Eyre. The mainland is washed by the Indian Ocean, as well as the seas of the Pacific Ocean.

5. Brazil | 8,514,877 sq. km.

- the largest state of the continent of South America, is located in fifth place in terms of the size of the occupied territory in the world. On an area of ​​8,514,877 sq. km. 203,262,267 citizens live. The capital bears the name of the country - Brazil (Brazilia) and is one of the largest cities in the state. Brazil borders on all the states of South America and is washed by the Atlantic Ocean on the east side.

4. USA | 9,519,431 sq. km.

USA(USA) is one of the largest states located on the mainland of North America. Its total area is 9,519,431 sq. km. The United States ranks fourth in terms of area and third in terms of population in the world. The number of living citizens is 321,267,000 people. The capital of the state is Washington. The country is divided into 50 states, and Columbia is a federal district. The US borders Canada, Mexico and Russia. The territory is washed by three oceans: the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Arctic.

3. China | 9,598,962 sq. km.

(People's Republic of China) tops the top three with the largest area. This is not only a country with one of the largest areas, but also with a huge population, the number of which is in first place in the world. On the territory of 9,598,962 sq. km. 1,374,642,000 people live. China is located on the Eurasian continent and borders 14 countries. Part of the mainland where the PRC is located is washed by the Pacific Ocean and the seas. The capital of the state is Beijing. The state includes 31 territorial subjects: 22 provinces, 4 cities of central subordination (“mainland China”) and 5 autonomous regions.

2. Canada | 9,984,670 sq. km.

With an area of ​​9,984,670 sq. km. ranks second in the ranking largest states in the world by territory. It is located on the mainland of North America, and is washed by three oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic. Canada borders the United States, Denmark and France. The state includes 13 territorial entities, of which 10 are called provinces, and 3 - territories. The population of the country is 34,737,000 people. The capital of Canada is Ottawa, one of the largest cities in the country. Conventionally, the state is divided into four parts: the Canadian Cordillera, the elevated plain of the Canadian Shield, the Appalachians and the Great Plains. Canada is called the land of lakes, the most popular of them is the Upper, whose area measures 83,270 square meters (the largest freshwater lake in the world), as well as the Bear, which is in the TOP-10 of the largest lakes in the world.

1. Russia | 17,125,407 sq. km.

(Russian Federation) occupies a leading position among the largest countries in terms of area. The Russian Federation is located on an area of ​​17,125,407 sq. km on the largest continent of Eurasia and occupies a third of it. Despite its vast territory, Russia occupies only the ninth place in terms of population density, the number of which is 146,267,288. The capital of the state is the city of Moscow - this is the most populated part of the country. The Russian Federation includes 46 regions, 22 republics and 17 subjects, called territories, federal cities and autonomous regions. The country borders on 17 states by land and 2 by sea (USA and Japan). In Russia, there are more than a hundred rivers, the length of which exceeds 10 kilometers - these are the Amur, Don, Volga and others. In addition to rivers, more than 2 million fresh and salt water bodies are located on the territory of the country. One of the most famous, Baikal is the deepest lake in the world. The highest point of the state is Mount Elbrus, whose height is about 5.5 km.

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