How Big Are They?

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The Earth’s land surface is divided into seven continents. Asia remains the undisputed heavyweight, covering nearly 30% of the world’s total land area.

Rank Continent Area (Approx. km2) % of Total Land
1 Asia 44,579,000 29.5%
2 Africa 30,370,000 20.4%
3 North America 24,709,000 16.5%
4 South America 17,840,000 12.0%
5 Antarctica 14,000,000 9.2%
6 Europe 10,180,000 6.8%
7 Oceania (Australia) 8,525,989 5.9%

2. Top 10 Largest Countries

When looking at individual nations, the “Big Three”—Russia, Canada, and China—dominate a massive portion of the globe.

1. Russia ($17,098,242 \text{ km}^2$)

Spanning two continents (Europe and Asia) and 11 time zones, Russia is the largest country by a significant margin. It is roughly 1.8 times the size of the United States.

2. Canada ($9,984,670 \text{ km}^2$)

The largest country in the Western Hemisphere. Notably, Canada has the longest coastline in the world and contains more lake area than any other nation.

3. China ($9,596,961 \text{ km}^2$)

The largest country situated entirely in Asia. While its land area is very close to the USA and Canada, the exact ranking often fluctuates depending on how disputed territories are measured.

4. United States ($9,525,067 \text{ km}^2$)

The US is just slightly smaller than China. This figure includes all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and territorial waters.

5. Brazil ($8,515,767 \text{ km}^2$)

The giant of South America, Brazil occupies nearly half of that continent’s landmass.

6. Australia ($7,692,024 \text{ km}^2$)

The only nation that is also an entire continent. Despite its massive size, it has a relatively small population due to the vast, arid “Outback.”

7. India ($3,287,263 \text{ km}^2$)

Though it ranks 7th in size, it is the most populous country in the world. It is significantly smaller than the top six, marking a “drop-off” in scale.

8. Argentina ($2,780,400 \text{ km}^2$)

The second-largest country in South America, featuring highly diverse geography from the Andes mountains to the Pampas grasslands.

9. Kazakhstan ($2,724,900 \text{ km}^2$)

The world’s largest landlocked country. It was formerly part of the Soviet Union and sits in the heart of Central Asia.

10. Algeria ($2,381,741 \text{ km}^2$)

Following the partition of Sudan in 2011, Algeria became the largest country in Africa. Over 80% of its land is covered by the Sahara Desert.

3. The Other End of the Spectrum

To provide a sense of scale, it is worth noting the smallest recognized sovereign state:

  • Vatican City: $0.49 \text{ km}^2$. You could fit roughly 34 million Vatican Cities inside Russia.

Note on Measurem