As you should already know, the earth’s surface is partitioned into different countries many of which are really big in size; examples- Russia, Canada, USA, China, Brazil and Australia. These occupy huge areas of the earth, with some even stretching across continents. Many teenagers already do know some of these very big countries. And as it is our mission to educate you, we hereby bring to you many more of such big countries you may not even know of.
You will see in the table below accurate data on the total area of each country (the sum of land and water surfaces) in square kilometers and square miles. You can see the neighboring countries having land borders with them. It is important however to note that the list includes only officially recognised independent states. In other words, it does not include dependent territories such as Greenland (which is a part of Denmark), or unrecognised or partially recognised states such as Western Sahara.
List of the 100 largest countries by total area (land and water surface)
Rank |
Country |
Total Area in Sq. Km.(sq. miles) |
Continent |
Bordering Countries by Land |
| 1 | Russia | 17,098,242(6,601,668) | Asia / Europe | Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, North Korea, Norway, Poland, Ukraine |
| 2 | Canada | 9,984,670(3,855,100) | North America | United States |
| 3 | United States(incl. overseas territories) | 9,857,348(3,805,943) | North America | Canada, Mexico |
| 4 | China | 9,596,961(3,705,407) | Asia | Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Vietnam |
| 5 | Brazil | 8,515,770(3,287,957) | South America | Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, France (French Guiana), Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela |
| 6 | Australia(incl. overseas territories) | 7,741,220(2,988,902) | Australia and Oceania | – |
| 7 | India | 3,287,263(1,269,219) | Asia | Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan |
| 8 | Argentina | 2,780,400(1,073,518) | South America | Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay |
| 9 | Kazakhstan | 2,724,900(1,052,090) | Asia / Europe | China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan |
| 10 | Algeria | 2,381,741(919,595) | Africa | Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Tunisia, Western Sahara (unrecognized state) |
| 11 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2,344,858(905,355) | Africa | Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia |
| 12 | Denmark(inc. Greenland, Faroe Islands) | 2,210,573(853,507) | Europe / North America | Germany |
| 13 | Saudi Arabia | 2,149,690(830,000) | Asia | Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Yemen |
| 14 | Mexico | 1,964,375(758,449) | North America | Belize, Guatemala, United States |
| 15 | Indonesia | 1,904,569(735,358) | Asia | Timor-Leste, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea |
| 16 | Sudan | 1,861,484(718,723) | Africa | Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan |
| 17 | Libya | 1,759,540(679,362) | Africa | Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia |
| 18 | Iran | 1,648,195(636,372) | Asia | Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan |
| 19 | Mongolia | 1,564,116(603,909) | Asia | China, Russia |
| 20 | Peru | 1,285,216(496,225) | South America | Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador |
| 21 | Chad | 1,284,000(495,755) | Africa | Cameroon, Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan |
| 22 | Niger | 1,267,000(489,191) | Africa | Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, Nigeria |
| 23 | Angola | 1,246,700(481,354) | Africa | Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Namibia, Zambia |
| 24 | Mali | 1,240,192(478,841) | Africa | Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal |
| 25 | South Africa | 1,219,090(470,693) | Africa | Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe |
| 26 | Colombia | 1,141,748(440,831) | South America | Brazil, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Venezuela |
| 27 | Ethiopia | 1,104,300(426,373) | Africa | Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan |
| 28 | Bolivia | 1,098,581(424,164) | South America | Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru |
| 29 | Mauritania | 1,030,700(397,955) | Africa | Algeria, Mali, Senegal, Western Sahara (unrecognized state) |
| 30 | Egypt | 1,001,450(386,662) | Africa | Palestine (Gaza Strip), Israel, Libya, Sudan |
| 31 | Tanzania | 947,300(365,755) | Africa | Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia |
| 32 | Nigeria | 923,768(356,669) | Africa | Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger |
| 33 | Venezuela | 912,050(352,144) | South America | Brazil, Colombia, Guyana |
| 34 | Namibia | 824,292(318,261) | Africa | Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia |
| 35 | Mozambique | 799,380(308,642) | Africa | Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| 36 | Pakistan | 796,095(307,374) | Asia | Afghanistan, China, India, Iran |
| 37 | Turkey | 783,562(302,535) | Asia / Europe | Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Syria |
| 38 | Chile | 756,096(291,930) | South America | Argentina, Bolivia, Peru |
| 39 | Zambia | 752,612(290,585) | Africa | Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe |
| 40 | Myanmar | 676,578(261,228) | Asia | Bangladesh, China, India, Laos, Thailand |
| 41 | Afghanistan | 652,230(251,827) | Asia | China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan |
| 42 | France(incl. overseas territories) | 643,801(248,573) | Europe | Andorra, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Spain, Switzerland. Brazil and Suriname share borders with french overseas territory in South America (French Guiana). |
| 43 | Somalia | 637,657(246,201) | Africa | Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya |
| 44 | Central African Republic | 622,984(240,535) | Africa | Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Sudan |
| 45 | South Sudan | 644,329(248,777) | Africa | Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda |
| 46 | Ukraine | 603,500(233,012) | Europe | Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia |
| 47 | Madagascar | 587,041(226,658) | Africa | – |
| 48 | Botswana | 581,730(224,607) | Africa | Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| 49 | Kenya | 580,367(224,081) | Africa | Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda |
| 50 | Yemen | 527,968(203,850) | Asia | Oman, Saudi Arabia |
| 51 | Thailand | 513,120(198,117) | Asia | Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar |
| 52 | Spain | 505,600(195,213) | Europe | Andorra, France, Gibraltar, Morocco, Portugal, United Kingdom (Gibraltar) |
| 53 | Turkmenistan | 488,100(188,456) | Asia | Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan |
| 54 | Cameroon | 475,440(183,568) | Africa | Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria |
| 55 | Papua New Guinea | 462,840(178,703) | Australia and Oceania | Indonesia |
| 56 | Sweden | 450,295(173,860) | Europe | Finland, Norway |
| 57 | Uzbekistan | 447,400(172,742) | Asia | Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan |
| 58 | Morocco | 446,550(172,410) | Africa | Algeria, Spain (Ceuta and Melilla – two autonomous cities in Africa), Mauritania, Western Sahara (unrecognized state) |
| 59 | Iraq | 438,317(169,235) | Asia | Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey |
| 60 | Paraguay | 406,752(157,048) | South America | Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil |
| 61 | Zimbabwe | 390,757(150,872) | Africa | Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia |
| 62 | Japan | 377,915(145,914) | Asia | – |
| 63 | Germany | 357,022(137,847) | Europe | Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland |
| 64 | Republic of the Congo | 342,000(132,047) | Africa | Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon |
| 65 | Finland(incl. Aland Islands) | 338,435(130,670) | Europe | Norway, Sweden, Russia |
| 66 | Vietnam | 331,210(127,881) | Asia | Cambodia, China, Laos |
| 67 | Malaysia | 330,800(127,722) | Asia | Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand |
| 68 | Norway(incl. overseas territories) | 385,178(148,718) | Europe | Finland, Sweden, Russia |
| 69 | Cote d’Ivoire | 322,463(124,504) | Africa | Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali |
| 70 | Poland | 312,679(120,726) | Europe | Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast), Slovakia, Ukraine |
| 71 | Oman | 309,500(119,499) | Asia | Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen |
| 72 | Italy | 301,340(116,348) | Europe | Austria, France, San Marino, Slovenia, Switzerland, Vatican City |
| 73 | Philippines | 300,000(115,831) | Asia | – |
| 74 | Ecuador | 283,561(109,483) | South America | Colombia, Peru |
| 75 | Burkina Faso | 274,220(105,877) | Africa | Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Togo |
| 76 | New Zealand(incl. overseas territories) | 268,527(103,679) | Australia and Oceania | – |
| 77 | Gabon | 267,667(103,347) | Africa | Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea |
| 78 | United Kingdom(incl. overseas territories) | 261,780(101,074) | Europe | Ireland |
| 79 | Guinea | 245,860(94,927) | Africa | Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone |
| 80 | Uganda | 241,550(93,263) | Africa | Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania |
| 81 | Ghana | 238,540(92,101) | Africa | Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo |
| 82 | Romania | 238,391(92,043) | Europe | Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine |
| 83 | Laos | 236,800(91,429) | Asia | Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam |
| 84 | Guyana | 214,970(83,000) | South America | Brazil, Suriname, Venezuela |
| 85 | Belarus | 207,600(80,155) | Europe | Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine |
| 86 | Kyrgyzstan | 199,951(77,201) | Asia | China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan |
| 87 | Senegal | 196,722(75,955) | Africa | Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania |
| 88 | Syria | 185,180(71,498) | Asia | Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey |
| 89 | Cambodia | 181,035(69,898) | Asia | Laos, Thailand, Vietnam |
| 90 | Uruguay | 176,220(68,039) | South America | Argentina, Brazil |
| 91 | Suriname | 163,820(63,251) | South America | Brazil, France (French Guiana), Guyana |
| 92 | Tunisia | 163,610(63,170) | Africa | Algeria, Libya |
| 93 | Nepal | 147,181(56,827) | Asia | China, India |
| 94 | Bangladesh | 143,998(55,598) | Asia | Burma, India |
| 95 | Tajikistan | 143,100(55,251) | Asia | Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan |
| 96 | Greece | 131,990(50,962) | Europe | Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Turkey |
| 97 | Nicaragua | 130,370(50,336) | North America | Costa Rica, Honduras |
| 98 | North Korea | 120,540(46,541) | Asia | China, South Korea, Russia |
| 99 | Malawi | 118,484(45,747) | Africa | Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia |
| 100 | Eritrea | 117,600(45,406) | Africa | Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan |
SOURCED MATERIAL
