List of countries by area

A list of countries by area ranks sovereign states by total land and inland water area.

This list ranks sovereign states by total area, including land and inland water bodies. Russia is consistently the largest country, followed by Canada and China in widely used modern rankings.

Ranking criteria

Countries are ranked by area, usually measured in square kilometres. Some sources use total area, while others separate land area from water area, which can change exact figures and sometimes the order of closely ranked countries.

Largest countries

Across the sources provided, Russia ranks first, Canada second, and China third. The United States, Brazil, and Australia are also consistently listed among the largest countries.

Measurement differences

The sources show small variations in reported areas for some countries, especially the United States and Canada. These differences reflect differing datasets, rounding, and whether territorial waters or inland water are included.