Só a Rússia cobre mais de 11% da área terrestre do planeta. Depois dela, os rankings ficam bem menos óbvios.
Como Jogar: Adivinhe se o país da direita tem área total MAIOR ou MENOR do que o da esquerda.
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Top 10 Largest Countries by Area
Country area is one of the rare statistics that essentially does not change. Borders shift occasionally, but the order of the world’s biggest countries has been stable for a century.
What is genuinely tricky is the middle of the ranking. Algeria is bigger than every European country combined excluding Russia. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is larger than Mexico. Most people guess wrong on at least half of these.
| # | Name | Area (km²) | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | 17,098,242 | km² |
| 2 | Canada | 9,984,670 | km² |
| 3 | United States | 9,833,517 | km² |
| 4 | China | 9,596,961 | km² |
| 5 | Brazil | 8,515,767 | km² |
| 6 | Australia | 7,692,024 | km² |
| 7 | India | 3,287,263 | km² |
| 8 | Argentina | 2,780,400 | km² |
| 9 | Kazakhstan | 2,724,900 | km² |
| 10 | Algeria | 2,381,741 | km² |
How Country Area Is Calculated
Land-area figures come from national surveying agencies and are harmonized by the UN Statistics Division and the CIA World Factbook. Most countries report a single total area number that includes inland waters (rivers, lakes), and some also report a separate land-only figure. The numbers in this game are total area, the most common public figure.
Russia’s lead is enormous. At 17 million square kilometers it is roughly twice the size of second-place Canada, and larger than the entire continent of Antarctica. Russia spans 11 time zones and reaches from Europe to within sight of Alaska.
Several countries that look small on a Mercator-projection world map are deceptively large. Algeria, after South Sudan’s secession, became Africa’s biggest country at 2.4 million km² — bigger than Greenland, Mexico, or Saudi Arabia. Kazakhstan, despite being landlocked, is the world’s ninth-largest country.
Disputed territories complicate the rankings. China’s reported area includes Aksai Chin, which India also claims. India’s reported figure includes Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims. We use the figures most commonly cited in international datasets, while noting that disputes exist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Russia really that big?
Yes. Russia covers about 17.1 million km², roughly 11% of all land on Earth. It is bigger than Pluto’s surface area.
Which is bigger, Brazil or Australia?
Brazil is slightly bigger at about 8.52 million km² versus Australia at 7.69 million km².
What is the smallest country in the world?
Vatican City, at just 0.49 km², is the smallest sovereign state. The next smallest are Monaco (2 km²) and Nauru (21 km²).
Does the area number include water?
It typically includes inland waters (rivers, lakes) but excludes territorial sea claims. The figures in this game are total area, the most widely-cited number.
Note: Areas are total area (land plus inland water) in km² as published by national agencies and the UN. Disputed boundaries follow the most commonly cited international figures.