Russia: The World's Largest Country by Area

Russia is the largest nation on Earth by land area—spanning 17,098,246 km² (6,601,670 mi²).

Scale Comparison

• ≈ 2× Canada (#2 at 9.98M km²)
• ≈ 2× China / USA (~9.6M km² each)
• ≈ 1.8× Antarctica (14.2M km²)
• ≈ Entire continent of Europe (10.2M km²) + more
• 11 time zones (formerly 11, now 11 again after 2014 changes)

Geographic Span

• West–East: Kaliningrad (20°E) → Big Diomede (169°W) — ~9,000 km / 5,600 mi
• North–South: Franz Josef Land (81°N) → Dagestan (41°N) — ~4,500 km
• Borders 14 countries (most globally): Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, North Korea
• Coastlines on 3 oceans: Arctic, Pacific, Atlantic (via Baltic/Black/Med)

Why So Large?

• Siberian expansion (1580s–1650s): Cossacks, fur traders, forts — reached Pacific in 60 years
• Treaty of Nerchinsk (1689) & Treaty of Aigun (1858) / Peking (1860) — fixed borders with Qing China
• Central Asia conquest (1860s–1880s) — Turkestan, Kazakhstan
• Sakhalin/Kurils (1875/1905/1945) — Japan/Russia swaps

Population Contrast

Despite #1 area, Russia ranks #9 in population (~144M) — density: 8.4/km² (vs. India 464, China 153, US 36). 77% live west of Urals (European Russia = 23% of area).

Bottom line: Russia's vastness is geological-historical accident + deliberate expansion. It's a continent masquerading as a country.