Largest countries and territories in the world by area Russia is the largest country in the world by far, with a total area of just over 17 million square kilometers. After Antarctica, the next three countries are Canada, the U.S., and China; all between 9.5 and 10 million square kilometers.
"Big Five" countries can refer to different groups, most commonly the five permanent members (P5) of the UN Security Council (China, France, Russia, UK, US) or the largest countries by area, which are Russia, Canada, China, the United States, and Brazil, though the specific list of large countries can vary slightly depending on inclusion criteria. Other "Big Fives" exist, like major European football leagues or influential nations.
For some of the world's countries, the answer is very, very small, even teeny tiny. Vatican City holds the title as the world's smallest country, with an area of just 0.17 square mile (0.44 square km). As a point of comparison, the largest country in the world, Russia, is almost 39 million times bigger.
No, the United States is larger than Australia overall, but Australia is comparable in size to the contiguous (lower 48) U.S. states, making it seem very large, with the U.S. having about 9.8 million km² and Australia around 7.7 million km². While the U.S. is the world's third or fourth largest country, Australia is the sixth largest and a massive landmass, about 28% smaller than the whole U.S.
Largest countries and territories in the world by area
Russia is the largest country in the world by far, with a total area of just over 17 million square kilometers. After Antarctica, the next three countries are Canada, the U.S., and China; all between 9.5 and 10 million square kilometers.
Hippos aren't in the Big Five because the term was coined by hunters for animals most difficult to hunt on foot, and hippos, while incredibly dangerous, live mostly in water, making them easier to hunt from a boat, not challenging to stalk on land. Despite killing more people annually than any other large mammal in Africa, they didn't fit the original criteria for a difficult land hunt, even though they are powerful and aggressive when threatened.
The United Nations has 193 members among the 197 states it recognizes. While the Vatican and the Palestinian State are 'only' observers, the Cook Islands and Niue are non-member States since they are in free association with New Zealand.
South Sudan ranks as the poorest country globally, grappling with prolonged civil war, oil dependency, and severe food insecurity. The ongoing conflict disrupts agricultural production, leaving over 60% of its population in need of humanitarian assistance.
The 10 Oldest Countries in the World (By Cultural Continuity)
For more than 30 years, France has held the top spot as the most visited country globally, reaching the 100-million-visitor milestone for the second consecutive year with 102 million arrivals in 2024 and accounting for 7% of the global tourism market.
Australia is the planet's sixth largest country after Russia, Canada, China, the USA, and Brazil.
Russia tops the list with over 17 million km², making it more than five times the size of India.
A ban on importing hippos and their semen was in effect due to biosecurity diseases risk that has caused the number of hippos in Australian zoos to dwindle in recent years. There are just five pygmy hippos left in Australian zoos, and nine common hippos.
Many iconic African animals live elsewhere in the world, especially in Europe and Asia. However, the Chimpanzee, Giraffe, African Wild Dog, Zebra, Serval, Lemur, Mamba, Okapi, and Gorilla are exclusive to Africa. Of course, they all exist in captivity in other continents, but they are wild in Africa and nowhere else.
How long will Africa take to split? It is thought it will take “at least 5 million to 10 million years” before a new ocean forms and splits the continent in two. The Arabian plate moves away from Africa “at a rate of about 1 inch per year” while the African plates move “between half an inch to 0.2 inches per year”.
Vatican City is the smallest country with a population of just 799 citizens.
Russia is the largest country in Europe, and also the largest in the world, its total size amounting to 17 million square kilometers (km2).
According to Credit Suisse's Global Wealth Report, the average wealth of Australian households was $628,000 per adult in 2020, the fourth highest in the world behind Switzerland, the United States and Hong Kong (North America as shown on the graph refers to the region, as does Asia-Pacific and Europe).
Is Australia bigger than Canada? No, Australia is not bigger than Canada. As previously mentioned, the land area of Canada is more than 3.8 million square miles, compared to just over 2.9 million square miles. This makes Canada about 29% larger than Australia.