This is a list of the sovereign states A sovereign state is a political association with effective internal and external sovereignty over a geographic area and population which is not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state. While in abstract terms a sovereign state can exist without being recognised by other sovereign states, unrecognised states will often find it hard to and dependent territories of the world, sorted by land area only, including all entities on the ISO standard ISO 3166-1 ISO 3166-1 is part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , and defines codes for the names of countries, dependent territories, and special areas of geographical interest. The official name of the standard is Codes for the representation of names of countries and their subdivisions – Part 1:.

For statistical purposes, dependent territories A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State are listed separately from their sovereign states and are set off in italics. The figures exclude inland water bodies A nation's internal waters covers all water and waterways on the landward side of the baseline from which a nation's territorial waters is defined.[citation needed] It includes waterways such as rivers and canals, and sometimes the water within small bays. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the coastal nation is free (lakes, reservoirs, rivers) and marine internal waters (coastal waters). Territorial waters Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most twelve nautical miles from the baseline of a coastal state. The territorial sea is regarded as the sovereign territory of the state, although foreign ships (both military and civilian) are and Exclusive Economic Zones Under the law of the sea, an Exclusive Economic Zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical miles from its coast. In casual use, the term may include the territorial sea and even the continental shelf are not included.

Also not included in the list are uninhabited dependent territories – including various countries' claims to parts of the continent of Antarctica Antarctica (pronounced /ænˈtɑrktɪkə/ ) is Earth's southernmost continent, underlying the South Pole. It is situated in the Antarctic region of the southern hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. At 14.0 million km2 (5.4 million sq mi), it is the fifth-largest continent in area after[1] – and entities such as the European Union The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 member states which are located primarily in Europe. Committed to regional integration, the EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht in 1993 upon the foundations of the European Communities. With over 500 million citizens, the EU combined generated an estimated 28% share (US$ 16.5[2] that have some degree of sovereignty but do not consider themselves to be sovereign countries or dependent territories. The total land area of the world is 148,940,000 km2 (57,510,000 sq mi)[3] (about 29.1% of the Earth's surface area).

Contents

Countries by land area

Rank Country Area (km2) Area (sq mi) Notes
1 Russia Russia (pronounced /ˈrʌʃə/ ; Russian: Россия, tr. Rossiya, pronounced [rɐˈsʲijə] ( listen)), also officially known as the Russian Federation (Russian: Российская Федерация, tr. Rossiyskaya Federatsiya, pronounced [rɐˈsʲijskəjə fʲɪdʲɪˈraʦəjə] ( listen)), is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal 16,377,742 6,323,482 Largest country in the world World is a common name for the sum of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth, Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus region (Specification of borders) and the Black Sea to the southeast. Europe is bordered by the and Asia Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population. During the 20th century Asia's population nearly quadrupled.
2 People's Republic of China b. ^ Simple characterizations of the political structure since the 1980s are no longer possible 9,326,410 3,600,950 Largest country entirely in Asia Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population. During the 20th century Asia's population nearly quadrupled. This entry excludes the Special Administrative Regions A Special Administrative Region is a provincial-level administrative division in the People's Republic of China. Each SAR has a governmental chief executive as head of the region and head of government. The People's Republic of China, at present, has two special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau. They should not be confused with special of Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China; the other is Macau. Situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With land mass of 1,104 km2 (426 sq mi) and a population of seven million and Macau Macau , also known as Macao (pronounced /məˈkaʊ/) is one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong. Macau lies on the western side of the Pearl River Delta, bordering Guangdong province to the north and facing the South China Sea in the east and south, the island of Taiwan Taiwan, also known as Formosa , is an island situated in East Asia in the Western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, and comprises most of the territory of the Republic of China (ROC) since the 1950s. The term "Taiwan" has also become a commonly used alternative name both domestically and and other ROC The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, is a state in East Asia comprising the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor islands located off the east coast of mainland China. Neighbouring states include the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the west, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south-controlled territories.
3 United States ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language 9,161,966 3,537,455 Largest country in the Americas The Americas, or America, are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World, comprising the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. America may be ambiguous in English, as it is more commonly used to refer to the United States of America. The Americas cover 8.3% of the Earth's total. This includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790. The City of Washington was originally a separate municipality within the Territory of Columbia until an act of Congress in 1871 effectively merged the City and the.
4 Canada The land occupied by Canada was inhabited for millennia by various groups of Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French expeditions explored, and later settled, along the Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. In 1867, with the union of three 9,093,507 3,511,023 Second-largest country in the Americas.
5 Brazil Brazil (pronounced /brəˈzɪl/ ; Portuguese: Brasil, IPA: [bɾaˈziw]), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: República Federativa do Brasil, listen (help·info)), is the largest country in South America and the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical 8,456,510 3,265,080 Largest country in South America South America is the southern continent of America, situated in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean; North America and the Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest and Latin America Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages (i.e., those derived from Latin) – particularly Spanish, Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,501 km² (7,880,000 sq mi), almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area. As of 2009, its.
6 Australia For at least 40,000 years before European settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who belonged to one or more of the roughly 250 language groups. After sporadic visits by fishermen from the immediate north and discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by the British 7,617,930 2,941,300 Largest island country An island country is a country whose primary territory consists of one or more islands or parts of islands[citation needed]. As of 2008, forty-seven (appoximately 25%) of the world's countries are island countries and largest country in Oceania Oceania is a geographical, and often geopolitical, region consisting of numerous lands—mostly islands in the Pacific Ocean and vicinity. The term "Oceania" was coined in 1831 by French explorer Dumont d'Urville.[dubious – discuss] The term is also sometimes used to denote a continent comprising Australia Continent and proximate.
7 India India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with 1.18 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Mainland India is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the 2,973,190 1,147,960 Largest country in South Asia South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries on the west and the east. Topographically, it is dominated by the Indian Plate, which rises above sea level as the Indian subcontinent south of the and second largest country entirely in Asia.
8 Argentina The Argentine claims in Antarctica along with the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands (administered by the United Kingdom) shown in light green 2,736,690 1,056,640 Second largest country of South America and Latin America.
9 Kazakhstan Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is one of the six independent Turkic states. It is located in Eurasia and ranked as the ninth largest country in the world. It is also ranked the world's largest landlocked country, its territory of 2,727,300 km² is greater than Western Europe. It is neighbored clockwise from the north by Russia, 2,669,800 1,030,800 Largest landlocked A landlocked country is a country entirely enclosed by land, or whose only coastlines lie on closed seas. As of 2008, there are 44 landlocked countries in the world. Of the major landmasses, only North America and Australia do not have a landlocked country inside their respective continents country in the world.[4][5]
10 Algeria Algerian Arabic is the language used by the majority of the population. Although French has no official status, Algeria is the second Francophone country in the world in terms of speakers 2,381,740 919,590 Largest country in Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people (as of 2009, see table) in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.72% of the world's human population and in the Arab World The Arab World refers to Arabic-speaking countries stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the Horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean in the southeast. It consists of 25 countries and territories with a combined population of 358 million people straddling North.
11 Sudan Sudan (Arabic: السودان ‎As Sūdān) is a country in northeastern Africa. It is the largest country in Africa, and tenth largest in the world by area. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, Kenya and Uganda to the southeast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central 2,376,000 917,000 Second largest country in Africa and the Arab World.
12 Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo , known until 1997 as Zaire, is a country located in Central Africa, with a small length of Atlantic coastline. It is the third largest country in Africa by area. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is, with the population more than 68 million, the eighteenth most populous nation in the world, and the fourth 2,267,600 875,500 Largest country in Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is a geographical term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara, or those African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara. It contrasts with North Africa, which is considered a part of the Arab world.
13 Greenland b. ^ Greenland, the Faeroes and Iceland were formally Norwegian possessions until 1814 despite 400 years of Danish monarchy beforehand 2,166,086 836,330 Largest dependent territory A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State in the world.
14 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia (Arabic: المملكه العربيه السعوديه‎) is the largest Arab country of the Middle East. It is bordered by Jordan and Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south. The Persian Gulf lies to the northeast and the Red Sea 2,149,690 830,000 Largest country in Western Asia Western Asia, West Asia, Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia are terms that describe the westernmost portion of Asia. The terms are partly coterminous with the Middle East - which describes geographical position in relation to Western Europe rather than location within Asia. Due to this perceived Eurocentrism, international organizations such as.
15 Mexico In Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica many cultures matured into advanced civilizations such as the Olmec, the Toltec, the Teotihuacan, the Zapotec, the Maya and the Aztec before the first contact with Europeans. In 1521, Spain conquered and colonized the territory, which was administered as the viceroyalty of New Spain which would eventually become Mexico 1,923,040 742,490 Largest country in Middle America Middle America is a region in the mid-latitudes of the Americas. In southern North America, it usually comprises Mexico, the nations of Central America, and the West Indies. The scope of the term may vary. Sometimes, Colombia and Venezuela are also included in Middle America; the West Indies are occasionally excluded from the region; and the.
16 Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian: Republik Indonesia), is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With a population of around 230 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, and has the world's largest population of Muslims. Indonesia is a republic, with an 1,826,440 705,190 Largest archipelago Archipelagos can be found isolated in bodies of water; or with a large land mass may neighbour them. For example, Scotland has more than 700 islands surrounding its mainland. Archipelagos are often volcanic, forming along island arcs generated by subduction zones or hotspots, but there are many other processes involved in their construction, in the world and largest country in South-East Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic and volcanic activity.
17 Libya Libya (Arabic: ليبيا ‎ Lībiyā pronunciation ; Libyan vernacular: Lībya pronunciation (help·info); Amazigh: ), officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya ( Arabic: الجماهيرية العربية الليبية الشعبية الإشتراكية العظمى ‎ Al-Jamāhīriyyah al-ʿArabiyyah al-Lībiyyah aš-Š 1,759,540 679,360
18 Iran 1,636,000 632,000
19 Mongolia 1,557,390 601,310
20 Peru 1,280,000 490,000
21 Niger 1,266,700 489,100
22 Chad 1,259,200 486,200
23 Angola 1,246,700 481,400
24 Mali 1,220,000 470,000
25 South Africa 1,219,912 471,011
26 Ethiopia 1,119,683 432,312
27 Bolivia 1,084,390 418,690
28 Colombia 1,038,700 401,000
29 Mauritania 1,030,400 397,800
30 Egypt 995,450 384,350
31 Nigeria 910,768 351,649
32 Tanzania 886,037 342,101
33 Venezuela 882,050 340,560
34 Namibia 825,418 318,696
35 Mozambique 784,090 302,740
36 Pakistan 796,095 307,374
37 Turkey 770,760 297,590
38 Chile 748,800 289,100
39 Zambia 740,724 285,995
40 Burma 657,740 253,950
41 Afghanistan 647,500 250,000
42 France 640,053 247,126
43 Somalia 627,337 242,216
44 Central African Republic 622,984 240,535
45 Ukraine 603,700 233,100
46 Botswana 585,370 226,010
47 Madagascar 581,540 224,530
48 Kenya 569,250 219,790
49 Yemen 527,970 203,850
50 Thailand 511,770 197,600

Source

See also

References

  1. ^ The following countries have territorial claims in Antarctica: Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and United Kingdom, which to some extent overlap. The area from 90°W to 150°W (2,100,000 km2/810,000 sq mi) is currently unclaimed territory. These areas usually have no human inhabitants, excluding scientists.
  2. ^ The European Union is a sui generis supranational union.
  3. ^ CIA - The World Factbook
  4. ^ Agency of Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan (ASRK). 2005. Main Demographic Indicators. Available at http://www.stat.kz
  5. ^ United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). 2007. “Kazakhstan” in The World Factbook. Book on-line. Available at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kz.html
Lists of countries by geographical rankings
Area Exclusive Economic Zone · Forest · Land (irrigated) · Water %
Extreme points Elevation (Highest · Lowest) · Latitude (Northernmost · Southernmost) · Longitude (Easternmost · Westernmost)
Perimeter Coastline length · Land border length · Number of bordering countries (land-only · land and maritime · maritime-only)
Other Freshwater (resources · withdrawal) · Time zones
Lists of countries · Lists by country · List of international rankings · List of statistically superlative countries

Categories: Lists of countries | Lists by area

 

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