The Five Largest Countries by Land Area
Yes, the world's five largest countries by total land area are:
- Russia — 17,098,246 km² (6,601,670 sq mi) — spans 11 time zones, Europe + Asia
- Canada — 9,984,670 km² (3,855,100 sq mi) — 2nd largest; longest coastline
- China — 9,596,961 km² (3,705,407 sq mi) — includes disputed territories (Aksai Chin, Arunachal Pradesh, Taiwan)
- United States — 9,525,067 km² (3,677,649 sq mi) — contiguous 48 + Alaska + Hawaii + territories
- Brazil — 8,515,767 km² (3,287,956 sq mi) — largest in Southern Hemisphere; Amazon basin
Notes
- Rankings vary slightly by source (CIA World Factbook, UN, Encyclopaedia Britannica) due to: coastal water inclusion, disputed territories, measurement methods
- China vs. US: China larger if coastal waters included; US larger if only land area
- Next: Australia (7.69M km²), India (3.29M km²), Argentina (2.78M km²)
- Antarctica (14.2M km²) is a continent, not a country
Wanderlust World