Top 100 largest countries by area

The world is a vast place, with countries of varying sizes. This overview focuses on the top 100 largest countries by area, highlighting the vastness and diversity of our planet’s landmasses.

List largest Countries by Area

Rank	Country	Total area in (km2)	Total area in (mi2)	Continent
1	Russia	17,098,242	6,601,668	Europe/Asia
2	Canada	9,984,670	3,855,100	North America
3	United States *	9,857,348	3,805,943	North America
4	China	9,596,961	3,705,407	Asia
5	Brazil	8,515,770	3,287,957	South America
6	Australia *	7,741,220	2,988,902	Australia
7	India	3,287,263	1,269,219	Asia
8	Argentina	2,780,400	1,073,518	South America
9	Kazakhstan	2,724,900	1,052,090	Europe/Asia
10	Algeria	2,381,741	919,595	Africa
11	DR Congo	2,344,858	905,355	Africa
12	Denmark **	2,210,573	853,507	Europe/North America
13	Saudi Arabia	2,149,690	830,000	Asia
14	Mexico	1,964,375	758,449	North America
15	Indonesia	1,904,569	735,358	Asia
16	Sudan	1,861,484	718,723	Africa
17	Libya	1,759,540	679,362	Africa
18	Iran	1,648,195	636,372	Asia
19	Mongolia	1,564,116	603,909	Asia
20	Peru	1,285,216	496,225	South America
21	Chad	1,284,000	495,755	Africa
22	Niger	1,267,000	489,191	Africa
23	Angola	1,246,700	481,354	Africa
24	Mali	1,240,192	478,841	Africa
25	South Africa	1,219,090	470,693	Africa
26	Colombia	1,141,748	440,831	South America
27	Ethiopia	1,104,300	426,373	Africa
28	Bolivia	1,098,581	424,164	South America
29	Mauritania	1,030,700	397,955	Africa
30	Egypt	1,001,450	386,662	Africa
31	Tanzania	947,300	365,755	Africa
32	Nigeria	923,768	356,669	Africa
33	Venezuela	912,050	352,144	South America
34	Namibia	824,292	318,261	Africa
35	Mozambique	799,380	308,642	Africa
36	Pakistan	796,095	307,374	Asia
37	Turkey	783,562	302,535	Europe/Asia
38	Chile	756,096	291,930	South America
39	Zambia	752,612	290,585	Africa
40	Myanmar	676,578	261,228	Asia
41	Afghanistan	652,230	251,827	Asia
42	South Sudan	644,329	248,777	Africa
43	France *	643,801	248,573	Europe
44	Somalia	637,657	246,201	Africa
45	Central African Republic	622,984	240,535	Africa
46	Ukraine	603,500	233,012	Europe
47	Madagascar	587,041	226,658	Africa
48	Botswana	581,730	224,607	Africa
49	Kenya	580,367	224,081	Africa
50	Yemen	527,968	203,850	Asia
51	Thailand	513,120	198,117	Asia
52	Spain	505,600	195,213	Europe
53	Turkmenistan	488,100	188,456	Asia
54	Cameroon	475,440	183,568	Africa
55	Papua New Guinea	462,840	178,703	Oceania
56	Sweden	450,295	173,860	Europe
57	Uzbekistan	447,400	172,742	Asia
58	Morocco	446,550	172,410	Africa
59	Iraq	438,317	169,235	Asia
60	Paraguay	406,752	157,048	South America
61	Zimbabwe	390,757	150,872	Africa
62	Norway *	385,203	148,727	Europe
63	Japan	377,915	145,914	Asia
64	Germany	357,022	137,847	Europe
65	Congo	342,000	132,047	Africa
66	Finland ***	338,435	130,670	Europe
67	Vietnam	331,210	127,881	Asia
68	Malaysia	330,800	127,722	Asia
69	Cote d'Ivoire	322,463	124,504	Africa
70	Poland	312,679	120,726	Europe
71	Oman	309,500	119,499	Asia
72	Italy	301,340	116,348	Europe
73	Philippines	300,000	115,831	Asia
74	Ecuador	283,561	109,483	South America
75	Burkina Faso	274,220	105,877	Africa
76	New Zealand *	268,527	103,679	Oceania
77	Gabon	267,667	103,347	Africa
78	United Kingdom *	261,780	101,074	Europe
79	Guinea	245,860	94,927	Africa
80	Uganda	241,550	93,263	Africa
81	Ghana	238,540	92,101	Africa
82	Romania	238,391	92,043	Europe
83	Laos	236,800	91,429	Asia
84	Guyana	214,970	83,000	South America
85	Belarus	207,600	80,155	Europe
86	Kyrgyzstan	199,951	77,201	Asia
87	Senegal	196,722	75,955	Africa
88	Syria	185,180	71,498	Asia
89	Cambodia	181,035	69,898	Asia
90	Uruguay	176,220	68,039	South America
91	Suriname	163,820	63,251	South America
92	Tunisia	163,610	63,170	Africa
93	Nepal	147,181	56,827	Asia
94	Bangladesh	143,998	55,598	Asia
95	Tajikistan	143,100	55,251	Asia
96	Greece	131,990	50,962	Europe
97	Nicaragua	130,370	50,336	North America
98	North Korea	120,540	46,541	Asia
99	Malawi	118,484	45,747	Africa
100	Eritrea	117,600	45,406	Africa

* Including overseas territories.

** Including Greenland, Faroe Islands.

*** Including Aland Islands.

Understanding Country Sizes

The size of a country can have significant implications for its geography, climate, biodiversity, and socio-economic dynamics. Larger countries often have a variety of climates and ecosystems, as well as diverse cultures and economies.

The Largest Countries in the World

Russia: The largest country in the world, covering over 17 million square kilometers.
Canada: With a vast area of about 10 million square kilometers, Canada is known for its wilderness and natural beauty.
China: A major global power, China covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometers.
United States: Spanning about 9.5 million square kilometers, the U.S. is known for its diverse landscapes and cultures.
Brazil: The largest country in South America, covering over 8.5 million square kilometers.

Geographic and Cultural Diversity

Larger countries often exhibit significant geographic and cultural diversity. For example, Australia, ranking sixth in size, is known for its unique wildlife and ecosystems. Similarly, India, the seventh-largest country, is renowned for its rich cultural heritage and diverse landscapes.

Challenges Faced by Larger Nations

Managing such vast lands comes with unique challenges, including regional governance, infrastructure development, and environmental conservation. Countries like Russia and Canada face the challenge of developing remote areas, while ensuring sustainable use of their extensive natural resources.

The top 100 largest countries by area demonstrate the sheer scale and diversity of our world. From the frozen tundras of Russia to the tropical rainforests of Brazil, these countries encompass a wide range of environments, cultures, and economies, each contributing uniquely to the global tapestry.

READ NEXT