Largest and Smallest Countries
Russia is the largest country in the world by area, at about 17,098,242 km². The smallest is Vatican City (Holy See), at just 0.44 km² — small enough to fit inside most cities.
The 25 largest countries by area
| # | Country | Area | Continent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Russia | 17,098,242 km² | Europe |
| 2 |  Canada | 9,984,670 km² | North America |
| 3 |  China | 9,706,961 km² | Asia |
| 4 |  United States | 9,372,610 km² | North America |
| 5 |  Brazil | 8,515,767 km² | South America |
| 6 |  Australia | 7,692,024 km² | Oceania |
| 7 |  India | 3,287,590 km² | Asia |
| 8 |  Argentina | 2,780,400 km² | South America |
| 9 |  Kazakhstan | 2,724,900 km² | Asia |
| 10 |  Algeria | 2,381,741 km² | Africa |
| 11 |  DR Congo | 2,344,858 km² | Africa |
| 12 |  Saudi Arabia | 2,149,690 km² | Asia |
| 13 |  Mexico | 1,964,375 km² | North America |
| 14 |  Indonesia | 1,904,569 km² | Asia |
| 15 |  Sudan | 1,886,068 km² | Africa |
| 16 |  Libya | 1,759,540 km² | Africa |
| 17 |  Iran | 1,648,195 km² | Asia |
| 18 |  Mongolia | 1,564,110 km² | Asia |
| 19 |  Peru | 1,285,216 km² | South America |
| 20 |  Chad | 1,284,000 km² | Africa |
| 21 |  Niger | 1,267,000 km² | Africa |
| 22 |  Angola | 1,246,700 km² | Africa |
| 23 |  Mali | 1,240,192 km² | Africa |
| 24 |  South Africa | 1,221,037 km² | Africa |
| 25 |  Colombia | 1,141,748 km² | South America |
The 25 smallest countries by area
| # | Country | Area | Continent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Vatican City (Holy See) | 0.44 km² | Europe |
| 2 |  Monaco | 2.02 km² | Europe |
| 3 |  Nauru | 21 km² | Oceania |
| 4 |  Tuvalu | 26 km² | Oceania |
| 5 |  San Marino | 61 km² | Europe |
| 6 |  Liechtenstein | 160 km² | Europe |
| 7 |  Marshall Islands | 181 km² | Oceania |
| 8 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | 261 km² | North America |
| 9 |  Maldives | 300 km² | Asia |
| 10 |  Malta | 316 km² | Europe |
| 11 |  Grenada | 344 km² | North America |
| 12 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 389 km² | North America |
| 13 |  Barbados | 430 km² | North America |
| 14 |  Antigua and Barbuda | 442 km² | North America |
| 15 |  Seychelles | 452 km² | Africa |
| 16 |  Palau | 459 km² | Oceania |
| 17 |  Andorra | 468 km² | Europe |
| 18 |  Saint Lucia | 616 km² | North America |
| 19 |  Micronesia | 702 km² | Oceania |
| 20 |  Singapore | 710 km² | Asia |
| 21 |  Tonga | 747 km² | Oceania |
| 22 |  Dominica | 751 km² | North America |
| 23 |  Bahrain | 765 km² | Asia |
| 24 |  Kiribati | 811 km² | Oceania |
| 25 |  São Tomé and Príncipe | 964 km² | Africa |
Frequently asked questions
What is the largest country in the world?+
Russia is the largest country in the world by land area, at about 17,098,242 km² — nearly twice the size of the next-largest. Canada, the United States, China, and Brazil complete the top five.
What is the smallest country in the world?+
Vatican City (Holy See) is the smallest country in the world at roughly 0.44 km², followed by Monaco, Nauru, Tuvalu, and San Marino.
Is the largest country by area also the largest by population?+
No. Russia is the largest by area but ranks ninth or so by population, while China and India lead by population despite being smaller in area than Russia or Canada.
What is the smallest country by population?+
Vatican City is the smallest country by both area and population, with only a few hundred residents. Other tiny-population states include Tuvalu, Nauru, and Palau.