The largest countries in terms of area and population. The largest country in the world by area

There are about 250 countries and territories all over the world. Some of them occupy a very small area, while others spread over several million kilometers. And what are the largest countries in terms of territory? Where are they located and how many people inhabit them? All this will be discussed below.

It is no secret that most of the planet's territory falls on the oceans, seas, rivers and lakes. In total, they occupy about 71% of the Earth, and the remaining 29% belong to the land that people inhabit. At the same time, more than 40% of the land is the area occupied by the major countries of the world. There are 10 of them on the planet.

List of large countries

1. So, Russia is at the head of the largest countries. Its territory is many times larger than the territory of many other countries and is 17,075,400 km2. At the same time, there are very few water bodies in the country and 16,995,800 km2 is land. Consequently, 12.5% ​​of the Earth's land area is in Russia alone;
2. In second place on this list is Canada. Its area is almost 2 times smaller than Russia - 9,984,670 km2. Of these, about 9 million square kilometers is land. Therefore, it occupies 6.1% of the earth's land;
3. The third place of honor belongs to China. This amazing country owns 9,596,960 km2, of which only 200,000 are water sources, and the rest is land. Therefore, China makes up 6.26% of the land areas of the Earth. But at the same time, almost 1.5 billion people live in this territory;
4. Large countries by area include the United States of America. They occupy the fourth stage and have an area of ​​9,518,900 km2. Of these, land accounts for approximately 9,162,000 km2, which means that America occupies 6.15% of the Earth's territory. But if we talk about the number of the American population, then the United States is in 3rd place;
5. Next comes Brazil. Its area is slightly more than 8 million square kilometers, or rather, 8,511,965 km2, on which almost 200 million people live. The country of carnivals occupies 5.67% of the earth's land area;
6. The next country is Australia. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is a separate continent and completely constitutes its territory, which extends over 7,686,850 km2. Of these, only about 67 thousand km2 falls on water sources. Therefore, Australia occupies 5.1% of the land of the entire planet;
7. India rightfully took the seventh position. Its area is 3,287,590 km2, of which 2,973,190 km2 is land. Consequently, of the earth's land, 2% falls precisely on this eastern country;
8. Next up is Argentina. It accounts for 1.8% of the Earth's territory, because the area of ​​​​the countries is 2,776,890 km2;
9. In the penultimate place - Kazakhstan. Like the previous country, it occupies 1.8% of the earth's land and has an area of ​​​​2,717,300 km2;
10. And, finally, closes this list - Sudan. Its area is 2,505,810 km2, which corresponds to 1.6% of the land on the planet.

The Russian Federation is located on the Eurasian continent and occupies a significant part of it - almost a third of the continent. The country is in first place in terms of territory, but in terms of population density it ranks only 9th. The most populous city in Russia is its capital, Moscow. The country is divided into territories and regions, as well as into republics and autonomous regions. In total, there are 46 regions in Russia, 22 republics, 17 autonomous subjects and districts. Russia has beautiful nature, many rivers and lakes. Some rivers are known all over the world, such as the Amur, the Don or the Volga. The length of each of them is at least 10 km. On the territory of the Russian Federation there is also the deepest Lake Baikal, filled with the purest water and attracting tourists from all over the world. The nature of Russia is diverse. Here you can soak up the sunny beach, take a dip in the warm southern sea or see the never-melting glaciers, feel the frost in the summer and watch the northern lights.

Russia is a neighboring country for 19 states, the border between them passes both by land and by sea

The population density in China is the highest, and the country is not only in the top three as the largest in area, but it is also one of the most densely populated.

China is located on the Eurasian continent, here its border is in contact with the borders of 14 countries, and on the other side it is washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. China is divided into 31 territorial entities. Of these, 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 4 cities of central subordination. The capital of China is Beijing.

The country is the largest on the continent of South America and has common borders with all the countries located on it. On the east side of Brazil is the Atlantic Ocean. The name of the capital of the country is very easy to remember, as it bears the name of its state - Brazil.
Brazil is the largest supplier of sugar, oranges, wheat and soybeans in the world. The state cooperates and exports agricultural products to such countries as Russia, the USA, China, Indonesia and others.

The main attraction of Brazil are, of course, colorful carnivals. To watch this celebration, many people come from far corners of the planet. The scope of the festival is amazing: a riot of colors, feathers, sparkles - all this remains in the memory forever.

The symbol of Brazil is the statue of Christ the Savior, it is located in the city of Rio de Janeiro on top of Corcovado mountain

It ranks second in area in South America. The location of the country is oblong and stretches from north to south. Argentina is diverse in its climatic conditions, and this is not surprising! There are various natural areas on a large territory. In the south of Argentina it is cold, deserts with harsh weather conditions stretch here, the north of the country is in a subtropical climate. In the west, along the border, there is the Andes mountain system, and on the east side, Argentina is washed by the Atlantic Ocean.

The largest city in Argentina is Buenos Aires, it is also the capital of the state

Sudan

The main part of the country's territory is the Darfur and Kordofan plateau, surrounded by the Central African highlands from the south, and the Ethiopian highlands from the east. The main waterway of Sudan is the famous Nile River.

The capital of Sudan occupies approximately 120 km² and, in fact, consists of three cities - Khartoum, North Khartoum and Omdurman, united into one large city, the settlement took the common name - Khartoum.

Now the question of which is the largest country in the world should not arise. This list contains the ten largest countries by territory. If we were talking about the population, it would be completely different. After all, for example, in China, more than a hundred people live on one square kilometer, while in Russia there are only about a dozen.

If we talk about which is the largest country in Europe, then of the above countries, Russia, of course, occupies a significant part of Europe, but since it is located only partially on its territory, Ukraine rightfully belongs to the first place.

Big numbers have always fascinated mankind, and if these numbers feed national pride, then even more so. It is an honor to be the largest country in Europe, but it is a hundred times more honor to occupy one of the largest territories by world standards. What is the largest country in the world? Readers will find out the answer from our rating, which lists largest countries in the world.

The largest country in Africa opens the top 10 largest countries by area. Almost 80% of the territory of Algeria is occupied by the Sahara desert, so the most inhabited part of the country is the coast. Algiers also boasts the deepest cave on the African continent - Anu Ifflis, whose depth is 1170 meters.

9. Kazakhstan (2.7 million km2)

The second place among the CIS countries and the ninth in the world in terms of occupied territory is given to Kazakhstan - the largest state among the Turkic-speaking countries. And it is also the largest country in the world without access to the oceans. But Kazakhstan did not remain completely without seas - on its territory there are two large inland seas, the Caspian and Aral Seas, the first of which is considered the largest closed reservoir on Earth.

8. Argentina (2.8 million km2)

The eighth number among the largest countries in the world is Argentina - the second largest state in Latin America. In terms of population, it is second only to Brazil and Colombia.

7. India (3.3 million km2)

Although India occupies only the seventh place in terms of territory, it is in second position in terms of population. More than 1.3 billion people live on the territory of India in 3.3 million km 2, and according to statistics, the population continues to increase. There are 357 people per km2 in India!

6. Australia (7.7 million km 2)

If India entirely occupies its own peninsula, then Australia has its own continent. The total area of ​​Australia is 5.9 million km 2 (in total, the country accounts for 5% of the total above-water surface of the Earth), and only 24 million people live on it. It is the largest country in Oceania. And Australia is famous for its quality of life - in the ranking of the Human Development Index, the homeland of the kangaroo is in second place.

5. Brazil (8.5 million km2)

The largest state in Latin America has an area of ​​8.5 million km 2, on which 2.67% of the total population of the earth is relatively spacious, namely more than 205 million people. Thanks to these criteria, Brazil is considered the largest Catholic country in the world. The largest river in the world, the Amazon, flows through Brazil.

4. USA (9.5 million km 2)

The area of ​​the USA is 9.5 million km 2, and the population is 325 million people (fourth place on the planet, second only to India and China). Due to its size and extent, the United States is the only country in the world that boasts a full range of climatic zones on its territory, from the tropics to the arctic tundra.

3. China (9.6 million km2)

A big state has a big population. Although China is in third place in terms of area (or rather, the United States and China dispute the third and fourth places, depending on whether the disputed territories belong to China or not), but in terms of population it has long been in first place - on a territory of 9.6 million km2 is inhabited by 1.38 billion people. However, it is possible that India will soon become the leader in terms of population, as China has entered a phase of the second demographic transition, characterized by a decline in the birth rate. As of December 2016, India is only 82 million behind China.

2. Canada (10 million km 2)

The largest country in America. It is interesting that the second largest state in the world, in terms of population, is only in 38th place - 36 million people live on an area of ​​​​9.98 million km2. The Canadian population density is only 3.41 people per km2. 75% of Canada is located in the north, and the largest number of the population is in the south of the country, which is more favorable in terms of climate.

1. Russia (17.1 million km2)

And the largest country in the world in terms of territory is still Russia, its total area is 17 million km 2. The length of Russia's border is almost 61 thousand kilometers, and thanks to this length, it borders on eighteen other countries. 146.5 million people live on 1/6 of the land (the ninth position in the world in terms of population). The climatic diversity of Russia is second only to the United States - from the Arctic climate zone to the subtropical one.

Throughout the long history of mankind, the outlines of the borders of states have changed greatly. However, in the second half of the 20th century, humanity came to those borders between countries that we see today, nevertheless, minor changes occur to this day. The top will also indicate the population and GDP (nominal, IMF list for 2015). And so in this top 10 largest countries for 2015 will be presented.

Algeria 10th place

Area 2,381,340 sq km. Population 38,087,000. Density 14.8 per sq km. GDP nominal per capita $4,345. Capital Algeria. Currency dinar. The official language is literary Arabic. Most of Algeria is occupied by the Sahara desert, the population lives in the north of the country near the coastline. The temperature in the summer in the Sahara desert can beat all anti-records. A large number of Algerians immigrate to Europe.

Kazakhstan 9th place.

Area 2,724,902 sq km. Population 17,541,000. GDP nominal per capita $11,028 Capital Astana. Currency Tenge. The population density is 6.4 people sq km. Official languages ​​Kazakh, Russian. In the land of Kazakhstan, there are almost all the elements of the periodic table of Mendeleev. Most of Kazakhstan is occupied by steppes, however, Kazakhstan has all types of landscapes - forests, lakes, mountains, deserts, canyons and river valleys. It is worth mentioning the sharply continental climate of Kazakhstan, where the temperature in summer can reach up to +46 and in winter it can drop to -58.

Argentina 8th place.

Area 2,780,000 sq km. Population 42,610,000. Currency Peso. Capital of Buenos Aires. GDP nominal per capita 13,428. The official language is Spanish. The population density is 15 people sq km. The territory of Argentina is occupied by the Andes Mountains as well as the eastern plains where most of the population lives. The climate is rather mild and favors pastoral cattle breeding. However, in the south of the country, the temperature can soak up to minus levels. What sets Argentina apart from other countries in Latin America is its homogeneity in terms of population, where most of the people are of Spanish and Italian ancestry. Argentina has disputed territories with Great Britain. Argentina also secures the right to part of Antarctica.

India 7th place.

Area 3,287,263 sq km. Population 1 281 941 000. Population density 364 people sq km. Rupee currency. The official language is Hindi, English and 21 other languages. Capital New Delhi. GDP nominal per capita is 1688 dollars. In ancient times, India was the richest country, thanks to the climate and the fertility of the land, the crop can be harvested four times a year. However, India is suffering from overpopulation. Most of the population lives near rivers, polluting them. As a result of the division of the East Indies by Britain, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Burma were formed. India is a potential superpower.

Australia 6th place.

Area 7,692,000 sq km. Population 23,130,000 people. The population density is 3.01 people. Currency Australian dollar. GDP nominal $51,642 Capital Canberra. The official language is de facto Australian English. Almost the entire population of Australia lives in the southeast of the country. Most of the country is occupied by lifeless deserts. Australia is a former British colony. The basis of the nation is made up of immigrants from Asia, Western and Southern Europe. The standard of living in Australia is one of the highest in the world.

Brazil 5th place.

The area is 8,514,877 sq km. Population 201,000,000. Population density 22 sq. km. Currency Real. Capital of Brasilia. GDP nominal per capita $8,802. The official language is Portuguese. Brazil is a federal state divided into states. The concept of Brazilians is just as conditional as Americans. The basis of the nation is people of mixed origin (mulattos) 43%, White 48% Portuguese, Germans, Arabs, Italians, Blacks 7%, Indians about half a million, Japanese 1,500,000 million. The climate in Brazil is very humid, most of Brazil is occupied by impenetrable Amazon jungle. Brazil is the strongest country in Latin America, yet a large part of the population lives in poverty, which leads to cheap labor. Brazil is a potential superpower.

USA 4th place.

Area 9,519,431. Population 325,607,000. The density is 32 people per sq km. Capital Washington. Currency US dollar. The official language, de facto American English. GDP nominal per capita $ 55,904. The eastern coast of the United States is densely populated, in contrast to the middle zone of the United States, this is due to the presence of water resources and sea trade routes, as well as a favorable climate. Most of the US territory was bought from France, as well as conquered from Mexico. Including the United States acquired Alaska from the Russian Empire. Today, America has 50 states (states), but the US territories, Puerto Rico as the 51st and Guam as the 52nd state, also want to receive state status. Nevertheless, obtaining the status of a state as a (federal state) is very long, it can drag on for decades. The basis of the American nation is made up of immigrants: whites 78% are mostly of Irish, Scottish, German, Anglo-Saxon, and Latin American origin. Blacks 13%. Asians 5%. Indians, Aleuts, Eskimos up to 2%. The US is the world's hegemon, imposing its terms on other countries, and carrying out the policy of the world's police baton. The US is currently the only superpower.

China 3rd place.

The area is 9,596,960 sq km. Population 1,368,660,000 people. The population density is 139 people per sq km. Yuan currency. The official language is Chinese. Capital Beijing. GDP nominal per capita is 8,280. Almost half of the territory of China is made up of national autonomies, there are only 5 of them. Nevertheless, the Chinese are not the majority in such remote autonomies as Tibet and the Uighur autonomy, living in eastern China in historical provinces, with a favorable climate, an abundance of rivers and land fertility. Not long ago, China became the second economy in the world, overtaking Japan. At the moment, China is one of the most important economies in the world and the fastest growing power in the world. China is the main holder of US government debt and government securities, ahead of Japan, which has moved to second place in this indicator. China is an economic superpower and a potential world superpower.

Canada 2nd place.

Area 9,984,670 sq km. Population 35,675,000 people. The density is 3.41 people per sq km. Currency Canadian dollar. Capital Ottawa. The official language is English and French. GDP nominal per capita is $43,935. Canada's economy is closely linked to the US economy for this reason, as well as climate, 80% of Canadians live no further than 160 km from the US border. Canada, along with Australia, is led by the British Queen. Canada has great natural resources. Most of Canada is covered by forests, lakes and mountains. At the moment, people from all over the world immigrate to Canada, as it is famous for being a peaceful, high-tech, and free from political and ethnic unrest country where you can raise children in a calm environment. Canada is one of the most prosperous countries on the planet.

Russia 1st place.

Area 17,125,407 sq km. Population 146,270,000 people. The density is 8.39 people per sq km. Moscow the capital. Currency ruble. Official language is Russian. GDP nominal value is $8,447. Russia is the largest state in the world, with a rich historical past, but more than 70% of Russia's territories, due to the harsh climate and remoteness, are not suitable for life, the construction of large cities and agglomerations. Most of the population of Russia lives in the western part with a temperate climate, as well as in the southern strip of Russia. Russia is the main opponent of US hegemony in world politics. In addition, Russia is an energy superpower with a large supply of minerals. Russia has a huge military and economic potential, including the availability of energy resources, in order to compete for the title of superpower.

This list presents the 10 largest countries in the world solely by area. Keep in mind that the countries are listed in descending order, and only the area of ​​​​the territory is estimated, without taking into account the population, standard of living, gross domestic product and other factors. Of course, the largest country in the world in terms of territory is Russia. Each country will be accompanied by a photo with the most popular attraction, or just a beautiful view.

1. Russia

The largest country in the world, with an impressive area of ​​17,098,242 square kilometers. The photo shows a cult landmark - St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.

2. Canada

The second largest country in the world and the largest in the Americas with 9,984,670 square kilometers. Canada is a country with a huge water cover (8.93% of the country's territory is covered by water bodies). Pictured is the skyline of the city of Toronto with the famous CN Tower.

3. China

China - The third largest country in the world and the largest in Asia: 9,706,961 sq. km. Shanghai is one of the most densely populated metropolitan areas in the world.

4. USA

The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world, with an area of ​​9,629,091 sq. km, the US is only slightly inferior to China.

5. Brazil

Brazil is the 5th largest in the world and the largest country in South America and the southern hemisphere, with an area of ​​8,514,877 sq. km. The photo shows a statue of Christ the Redeemer.

6. Australia

Australia is the sixth largest country on Earth, and the largest in Oceania. It is also the largest country without any land borders. The area of ​​Australia is 7,692,024 square kilometers. Pictured is the Sydney Bridge.

7. India

India ranks seventh on this list. The country is almost half the size of Australia and covers 3,166,414 square kilometers. km. You probably recognized the Taj Mahal in the photo, one of the most beautiful palaces in the world.

8. Argentina

Argentina, with an area of ​​2,780,400 sq. km., occupies the eighth place in this list. It is one of the largest countries in South America.

9. Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is only slightly inferior to Argentina, and ranks 9th among the largest countries in the world, with an area of ​​2,724,900 kilometers. In the photo - the city of Astana.

10. Algiers

Closes the top ten countries Algeria, which is the largest country in Africa, covering 2,381,741 square kilometers.

If you are not a fan of statistics and all sorts of numbers, we hope you did not get bored admiring the breathtaking photographs. In continuation, read also about the smallest countries in a separate feed.

In the last article we talked about, in this publication we will learn about the largest countries. The largest country in terms of area is the Russian Federation, occupying 17,126,122 km². The largest country in terms of population is China with 1,368,779,000 people. More information on this subject can be found below.

Largest country by:

Owners of wide open spaces

To begin with, consider the TOP of the largest territories of countries and their occupied area:

1. Russia - 17,126,122 km?;
2. Canada - 9,976,140 km?;
3. China - 9,598,077 km?;
4. USA - 9,518,900 km?;
5. Brazil - 8,511,965 km?;
6. Australia - 7,686,850 km?;
7. India - 3,287,590 km?;
8. Argentina - 2,766,890 km?;
9. Kazakhstan - 2,724,902 km?;
10. The rest - 80 646 216 km?.

In the diagram below, you can clearly see these indicators in percentage terms.

As we can see, Russia occupies 11% of the land area of ​​the planet, Canada - 7%, China - 6%. Thus, these three countries occupy about 24% of the world's land mass. Now let's study the leading countries in more detail.

Russian Federation

The largest country in terms of area is Russia, its area is 17,126,122 km².

Russia is the largest country in terms of territory, with a federal structure. Until 2014, the territory of Russia was 17,125,187 km², after Crimea was annexed in March 2014, the area of ​​the state increased to this figure.

Due to such a huge territory, Russia borders on 18 countries, which is the most record figure in the whole world.

The territory of the Russian state includes 85 subjects of the federation, of which:

• 46 regions;


• 22 republics;


• 9 edges;


• 4 autonomous regions;


• 3 federal cities;


• 1 autonomous region.

Russia occupies 1/8 of the land and is comparable not just with countries, but even with the continents.

Canada

The second largest country in the world is Canada, its area is 9,984,670 km².

Canada yields to Russia in terms of territory by almost 2 times. Like Russia, Canada is a state with a federal structure.

The territory of Canada includes:

• 10 provinces;


• 3 territories.

Canada is the largest state of the American islands, surpassing even the size of its neighbor on the mainland, the United States.

China

The third territory on the planet is owned by China, which occupies 9,640,821 km².

The area of ​​China is not too far away from Canada, when compared with Russia.

China includes:

• 22 provinces (some sources indicate 23 provinces, including Taiwan);


• 5 autonomous regions;


• 4 municipalities;


• 2 special administrative regions.

Despite its large area, most of the territory of China is occupied by mountains, about 67%.

"People's" countries

Consider the overall ranking of the most populated countries:

1. China - 1,368,779,000 people;
2. India - 1,261,779,000 people;
3. USA - 318,613,000 people;
4. Indonesia - 252 812 245 people;
5. Brazil - 203,260,131 people;
6. Pakistan - 187,878,027 people;
7. Nigeria - 178,516,904 people;
8. Bangladesh - 156,951,230 people;
9. Russia - 146,200,000 people;
10. The rest - 2,911,254,980 people.

As you can see from the table, the top three countries have a population equal to all those countries that are not included in the top nine. Now let's look at the top three in more detail.

China

The most populous country is China, which is home to about 1,368,779,000 people.

China's population is growing by 12 million every year. Since 1979, the state has switched to a policy of birth control, but having reached average rates, over time, the birth rate is gradually growing again from year to year.

India

The second country in terms of population is India, the country is home to 1,261,779,000 people.

Oddly enough, but almost 70% of Indians live in rural areas. The state does not pursue any policy of birth control. The annual population growth of India is about 14 million people.

Closes the top three countries in terms of population - the United States, they are home to 320,194,478 people.

The US population growth is about 8 million people a year. Quite a significant part of this number are migrants from other countries. The United States, exactly like other countries, will be very difficult to catch up with China and India in terms of population, and in the conditions of modern life it is unrealistic.