The Largest Countries in the World

If you take a look at a globe or a map of the world, it's not too hard to find the largest country, Russia. Covering more than 6.5 million square miles and stretching 11 time zones, no other nation can match Russia for sheer size. But can you name all 10 of the largest nations on Earth based on land mass?

Here are a few hints. The second-largest country in the world is Russia's neighbor, but it's just two-thirds as big. Two other geographic giants share the longest international border in the world. And one occupies an entire continent.

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Russia

Russia, as we know it today, is a very new country, born out of the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991. But the nation can trace its roots all the way back to the 9th century CE, when the state of Rus was founded.

Size: 6,592,771 square miles
Population: 145,872,256
Capital city: Moscow
Date of independence: August 24, 1991
Primary languages: Russian (official), Tatar, Chechen
Primary religions: Russian Orthodox, Muslim
National symbol: Bear, the double-headed eagle
National colors: White, blue, and red
National anthem: "Gimn Rossiyskoy Federatsii" (National Anthem of the Russian Federation)

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Canada

Icefields Parkway, Banff National Park, Alberta. Witold Skrypczak / Getty Images

Canada's ceremonial head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, which shouldn't come as a surprise because Canada was once part of the British empire. The longest international border in the world is shared by Canada and the United States.

Size: 3,854,082 square miles
Population: 37,411,047
Capital city: Ottawa
Date of independence: July 1, 1867
Primary languages: English and French (official)
Primary religions: Catholic, Protestant
National symbol: Maple leaf, beaver
National colors: Red and white
National anthem: "O, Canada"

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United States

North American map. Shan Shui / Getty Images

If it weren't for the state of Alaska, the U.S wouldn't be nearly as large as it is today. The largest state in the nation is more than 660,000 square miles, bigger than Texas and California put together.

Size: 3,717,727 square miles
Population: 329,064,917
Capital city: Washington, D.C.
Date of independence: July 4, 1776
Primary languages: English, Spanish
Primary religions: Protestant, Roman Catholic
National symbol: Bald eagle
National colors: Red, white, and blue
National anthem: "The Star-Spangled Banner"

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China

China may only be the fourth-largest nation in the world, but with more than a billion people, it's number 1 when it comes to population. China is also home to the largest human-made structure in the world, the Great Wall.

Size: 3,704,426 square miles
Population: 1,433,783,686
Capital city: Beijing
Date of independence: October 1, 1949
Primary language: Mandarin Chinese (official)
Primary religions: Buddhist, Christian, Muslim
National symbol: Dragon
National colors: Red and yellow
National anthem: "Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" (The March of the Volunteers)

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Brazil

Brazil isn't just the largest nation in terms of land mass in South America; it's also the most populous. This former colony of Portugal is also the largest Portuguese-speaking country on earth.

Size: 3,285,618 square miles
Population: 211,049,527
Capital city: Brasilia
Date of independence: September 7, 1822
Primary languages: Portuguese (official)
Primary religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant
National symbol: Southern Cross constellation
National colors: Green, yellow, and blue
National anthem: "Hino Nacional Brasileiro" (Brazilian National Anthem)

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Australia

Australia is the only nation to occupy an entire continent. Like Canada, it is part of the Commonwealth of Nations, a group of more than 50 former British colonies.

Size: 2,967,124 square miles
Population: 25,203,198
Capital city: Canberra
Date of independence: January 1, 1901
Primary language: English
Primary religions: Protestant, Roman Catholic
National symbol: Southern Cross constellation, kangaroo
National colors: Green and gold
National anthem: "Advance Australia Fair"

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India

India is much smaller than China in terms of land mass, but it's expected to overtake its neighbor in population sometime in the 2020s. India holds the distinction of being the largest nation with a democratic form of governance.

Size: 1,269,009 square miles
Population: 1,366,417,754
Capital city: New Delhi
Date of independence: August 15, 1947
Primary languages: Hindi, Bengali, Telugu
Primary religions: Hindu, Muslim
National symbol: The Lion Capital of Ashoka, Bengal tiger, lotus flower
National colors: Saffron, white, and green
National anthem: "Jana-Gana-Mana" (Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People)

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Argentina

Argentina is a distant second to its neighbor Brazil in terms of land mass and population, but the two countries share one big notable feature. Iguazu Falls, the largest waterfall system on the planet, lies between these two countries.

Size: 1,068,019 square miles
Population: 44,780,677
Capital city: Buenos Aires
Date of independence: July 9, 1816
Primary languages: Spanish (official), Italian, English
Primary religions: Roman Catholic
National symbol: Sun of May
National colors: Sky blue and white
National anthem: "Himno Nacional Argentino" (Argentine National Anthem)

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Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is another former state of the Soviet Union that declared its independence in 1991. It is the largest land-locked nation in the world.

Size: 1,048,877 square miles
Population: 18,551,427
Capital city: Astana
Date of independence: December 16, 1991
Primary languages: Kazakh and Russian (official)
Primary religions: Muslim, Russian Orthodox)
National symbol: Golden eagle
National colors: Blue and yellow
National anthem: "Menin Qazaqstanim" (My Kazakhstan)

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Algeria

The 10th-largest nation on the planet is also the biggest country in Africa. Although Arabic and Berber are the official languages, French is also widely spoken because Algeria is a former French colony.

Size: 919,352 square miles
Population: 43,053,054
Capital city: Algiers
Date of independence: July 5, 1962
Primary languages: Arabic and Berber (official), French
Primary religions: Muslim (official)
National symbol: Star and crescent, fennec fox
National colors: Green, white and red
National anthem: "Kassaman" (We Pledge)

Other Ways of Determining the Largest Nations

Land mass is not the only way to measure the size of a country. Population is another common metric for ranking the largest nations. Economic output can also be used to measure a nation's size in terms of financial and political power. In both cases, many of the same nations on this list can also rank among the top 10 in terms of population and economy, although not always.

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Rosenberg, Matt. "The Largest Countries in the World." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/biggest-countries-in-the-world-4147693. Rosenberg, Matt. (2020, August 27). The Largest Countries in the World. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/biggest-countries-in-the-world-4147693 Rosenberg, Matt. "The Largest Countries in the World." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/biggest-countries-in-the-world-4147693 (accessed June 3, 2023).