The Largest Countries by Area

The world's biggest nations, by total area.

Ranked by total area, the largest countries span continents — Russia alone covers more than a ninth of the planet's land, followed by Canada, China, the United States, and Brazil. Areas include land and inland water.

#	Place	Area (sq mi)
1	Russia The largest country on Earth, spanning Europe and Asia across eleven time zones	6,601,665 sq mi 17,098,242 km²
2	Canada The world's second-largest country, from Atlantic to Pacific to Arctic	3,855,101 sq mi 9,984,670 km²
3	United States A continental superpower of fifty states and astonishing variety	3,796,741 sq mi 9,833,517 km²
4	China The world's most populous nation reborn as an economic superpower	3,705,405 sq mi 9,596,960 km²
5	Brazil South America's giant, from the Amazon to the Atlantic	3,287,955 sq mi 8,515,767 km²
6	Australia An island continent of desert, reef, and coast	2,988,901 sq mi 7,741,220 km²
7	India The world's most populous nation and largest democracy	1,269,219 sq mi 3,287,263 km²
8	Argentina From Patagonia's ice to the pampas and the Andes	1,073,396 sq mi 2,780,085 km²
9	Kazakhstan The world's largest landlocked country, a steppe nation astride two continents	1,052,089 sq mi 2,724,900 km²
10	Algeria Africa's largest country, where the Sahara meets the Mediterranean	919,595 sq mi 2,381,741 km²
11	Democratic Republic of the Congo A continent-sized country at the green heart of Africa	905,354 sq mi 2,344,858 km²
12	Saudi Arabia The desert kingdom and birthplace of Islam	830,000 sq mi 2,149,690 km²
13	Mexico Where ancient civilizations and a modern powerhouse meet	758,449 sq mi 1,964,375 km²
14	Indonesia The world's largest archipelago, spanning two oceans	735,358 sq mi 1,904,569 km²
15	Sudan Land of the two Niles, where Arab and African Africa meet	728,215 sq mi 1,886,068 km²

Place

Area (sq mi)

Russia
The largest country on Earth, spanning Europe and Asia across eleven time zones

6,601,665 sq mi
17,098,242 km²

Canada
The world's second-largest country, from Atlantic to Pacific to Arctic

3,855,101 sq mi
9,984,670 km²

United States
A continental superpower of fifty states and astonishing variety

3,796,741 sq mi
9,833,517 km²

China
The world's most populous nation reborn as an economic superpower

3,705,405 sq mi
9,596,960 km²

Brazil
South America's giant, from the Amazon to the Atlantic

3,287,955 sq mi
8,515,767 km²

Australia
An island continent of desert, reef, and coast

2,988,901 sq mi
7,741,220 km²

India
The world's most populous nation and largest democracy

1,269,219 sq mi
3,287,263 km²

Argentina
From Patagonia's ice to the pampas and the Andes

1,073,396 sq mi
2,780,085 km²

Kazakhstan
The world's largest landlocked country, a steppe nation astride two continents

1,052,089 sq mi
2,724,900 km²

Algeria
Africa's largest country, where the Sahara meets the Mediterranean

919,595 sq mi
2,381,741 km²

Democratic Republic of the Congo
A continent-sized country at the green heart of Africa

905,354 sq mi
2,344,858 km²

Saudi Arabia
The desert kingdom and birthplace of Islam

830,000 sq mi
2,149,690 km²

Mexico
Where ancient civilizations and a modern powerhouse meet

758,449 sq mi
1,964,375 km²

Indonesia
The world's largest archipelago, spanning two oceans

735,358 sq mi
1,904,569 km²

Sudan
Land of the two Niles, where Arab and African Africa meet

728,215 sq mi
1,886,068 km²

Figures are drawn from standard government and reference sources and shown in both imperial and metric units. See each entry for full details and citations. Browse all guides or open the explore map.