Top 10 Largest Countries in the World by Area

Top 10 Largest Countries in the World by Area

Rank	Country	Capital City	Continent	Area (square km)
1	Russia	Moscow	Europe	17,098,242
2	Canada	Ottawa	North America	9,984,670
3	United States of America	Washington DC	North America	9,826,675
4	China	Beijing	Asia	9,596,960
5	Brazil	Brasilia	South America	8,514,877
6	Australia	Canberra	Oceania	7,741,220
7	India	New Delhi	Asia	3,287,263
8	Argentina	Buenos Aires	South America	2,780,400
9	Kazakhstan	Astana	Asia	2,724,900
10	Algeria	Algiers	Africa	2,381,741

Russia's geographical position is commonly described as "Eurasia". Its Asian part alone has larger area as compared to an entire country.

The world's ten biggest countries by size are ranked based on information from the CIA World Factbook.

The numbers shown are based on the total land area of each country, including both land and water areas within the international boundaries.

Russia is the largest country in the world by a wide margin, covering 17,098,242 square kilometers. Russia stretches across Eurasia, spanning nine time zones and covering about an eighth of the inhabited land area of the Earth.

The next largest country is also located in the far north. Canada covers the northern part of the Western Hemisphere, with a total area of 9,984,670 square kilometers. The United States and China are next on the list, so close in size that their positions are sometimes reversed, depending on the inclusion of particular territories and water areas.

Just behind China and the USA is the largest country in South America, Brazil, with an area of 8,514,877 square miles, followed by Australia with an area of 7,692,024 square kilometers. Rounding out the top ten are the much smaller countries of India, Argentina, Kazakhstan and Algeria.