12 World’s Biggest Countries In Descending Order

There are many countries in the world, and their sizes vary widely. Some countries are little, while others are massive. These countries cover a large section of the Earth’s surface, accounting for more than 55% of its land area. It’s worth noting that many of the world’s largest countries are located in the Northern Hemisphere. Northern Hemisphere countries are often larger due to geography, climate, and history.

With that in mind, we’ll be bringing you the 12 biggest countries in the world in this article and in descending order. Now, hang tight while we take you on a trip around the world!

12. Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is a nation in West Asia that is officially known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With a total geographic size of around 2,150,000 km2 (830,000 sq mi), it is the second-biggest Arab nation, the largest in West Asia, and the Middle East. It occupies the majority of the Arabian Peninsula.

Saudi Arabia is the only nation with coastlines on both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. The majority of its terrain is made up of mountains, lowlands, and arid desert. The capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia is Riyadh, and the country is also home to Mecca and Medina, the two holiest cities in Islam.

11. Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), originally known as Zaire and also known as Congo-Kinshasa, is a nation in Central Africa. The DRC is the second-largest country in Africa and the eleventh-largest country in the world by land area. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most populous officially Francophone nation in the world, with a population of about 112 million.

Kinshasa, the largest city in the country and the economic hub, is the national capital. Despite having a wealth of natural resources, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has endured decades of political unrest, poor infrastructure, corruption, and colonial and commercial extraction and exploitation.

10. Algeria

Algeria is a nation in North Africa that is officially known as the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria. It is regarded as a component of North Africa’s Maghreb. It is regarded as a component of North Africa’s Maghreb. With an area of 2,381,741 square kilometers (919,595 sq mi), Algeria is the largest country in Africa and the tenth largest country in the world overall.

It is more than 200 times bigger than The Gambia, which is the smallest nation on the continent. With 44 million people, Algeria is the 32nd-most populous nation in the world and the tenth-most populous nation in Africa.

9. Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan, or the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked nation that spans two continents. It is primarily located in Central Asia and a small portion of it is in Eastern Europe. The largest landlocked nation and ninth-largest country in terms of land area is Kazakhstan. With fewer than 6 people per square kilometer (16 people per square mile), it has one of the lowest population densities in the world and a population of 19 million.

The nation controls politics and economics in Central Asia, contributing 60 percent of the region’s GDP, mostly through its oil and gas sector. It also has a huge mineral resource base.

8. Argentina

Argentina, often known as the Argentine Republic, is a nation in South America’s southern region. Argentina is the fourth-largest nation in the Americas, the eighth-largest nation in the globe, and the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, with a total land area of 2,780,400 km2 (1,073,500 sq mi).

Argentina is a federal state with 23 provinces and Buenos Aires, the federal capital and biggest metropolis in the country, as its only autonomous city.

7. India

India, often known as the Republic of India, is a South Asian nation. It is the world’s most populous democracy and the seventh-largest country in terms of land area as of June 2023. It also ranks first in terms of population. India shares a maritime border with Thailand, Myanmar, and Indonesia on its Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which are located in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

6. Australia

Australia, or the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign state made up of the Australian continent’s interior, the island of Tasmania, as well as a number of other smaller islands. Australia is the sixth-biggest nation in the world and the largest country in Oceania by area.

With deserts in the center, tropical rainforests in the north-east, tropical savannas in the north, and mountain ranges in the south-east, it is a megadiverse country with a broad diversity of landscapes and temperatures.

5. Brazil

Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is South America’s and Latin America’s largest country. Brazil is the fifth-largest country in terms of land area and the seventh-most population. It is the only country in the Americas where Portuguese is spoken as an official language.

Due to nearly a century of huge immigration from all over the world, it is one of the most cosmopolitan and ethnically varied nations, as well as the most populated Roman Catholic-majority country.

4. United States of America

The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), often referred to as the United States (U.S. or US) or colloquially as America, is a confederation of 50 states mostly in North America. It is the third-most populous country in the world and the most populous in the Americas with a population of over 333 million.

The United States is one of the most developed nations in the world, with one of the highest median incomes. Its economy, measured by GDP at market exchange rates, is the largest in the world and contributes about one-fourth of the global GDP. It has the most riches of any nation and is the second-largest exporter and importer in the world.

3. People’s Republic of China

East Asia is home to China, often known as the People’s Republic of China (PRC). With over 1.4 billion people, it is the second-most populated nation in the world. China has 14 territorial borders with other countries, or the equivalent of five time zones. It is the third largest country in the world by total land area, covering around 9.6 million square kilometers (3,700,000 sq mi).

2. Canada

Canada is a North American country. Its 10 provinces and three territories stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic, making it the world’s second-biggest country by total area, with the world’s longest coastline. It has the world’s longest international land border with the United States.

Canada is a developed country with one of the greatest nominal per capita incomes in the world, and its advanced economy is one of the largest in the world, relying mostly on its enormous natural resources and well-established international trade networks.

1. Russia

Russia, often known as the Russian Federation, is a country that spans Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the world’s largest country in terms of land area, spanning the easternmost region of Europe and the northernmost part of Asia. Russia spans eleven time zones and shares territorial borders with fourteen other countries. It is the world’s ninth most populous country and the most populous country in Europe.