BIGGEST COUNTRY
10. ALGERIA
The Algerian Sahara, the largest expanse of Saharan desert.Algeria,
at 2.38 million square kilometers, is the tenth-largest country in the
world by area and the only African country in the top 10. Situated in Northern Africa, Algeria
has a Mediterranean coastline 998 km long. 90 percent of the country is
desert, and much of its desert regions are highly elevated. The Tell
Atlas mountain range runs along the country’s northern border, while the
interior, much of it hundreds of meters above sea level, contains the
Algerian portion of the Sahara desert. The massive Algerian Sahara
extends all the way to the south of the country past its borders with Niger and Mali.
9. KAZAKHSTAN
Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country. Kazakhstan’s
2.72 million square kilometers stretch over vast plains and highlands. A
cool and dry, but not quite desert-like, climate prevails for most of
the year. Kazakhstanis experience a great range of temperatures
throughout the year, though it doesn’t get as cold in Kazakhstan as it
does in parts of its northern neighbor, Russia.Formerly part of the USSR, the largest nation in the world for
most of the 20th century, Kazakhstan’s current main claim to fame is its
status as the largest landlocked country in the world—and the only
landlocked country in the top 10.
8. ARGENTINA
Mount Fitz Roy in Patagonia, Argentina.Argentina, the world’s 32nd
most populous country, is the world’s eighth largest, and the largest
Spanish-speaking nation in the world by area. Its 2.78 million square
kilometers include some of the most varied geography and climate in the
world.Swampy, tropical conditions in the very north give way to
freezing glacial regions in the south. Patagonia, one of the most
spectacular and dangerous places on the planet, stretches from the
southern Andes in the west to the Atlantic Ocean in the east. The
southern tip of Argentina, known as Cape Horn, is one of the stormiest locations on the globe.
7. INDIA
India is the second largest nation in terms of population, and seventh largest in terms of areaIndia’s boundaries have changed quite a few times over the past century, and even still, India claims that the northern region of Kashmir (an area disputed with Pakistan)
belongs under Indian control completely. As it stands, without Kashmir,
India’s territory stretches for 3.29 million square kilometers.China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal
each share a border with India, and its geography ranges from the
majestic Himalayan Mountains to the tropical shores of the southern
peninsula. Geologically, India is found on it’s own subcontinent, and
geological studies show that this whole nation and it’s close neighbours
were at one time separated from Asia by a sea.
6. AUSTRALIA
The Twelve Apostles, Victoria State, AustraliaThe approximately 4.4 million square kilometer difference between Australia
and India represents the second-largest size difference between
countries ranked consecutively in the top 10. Australia, at around 7.69
million square kilometers, is over twice the size of India.It’s the largest country in Oceania by far. Technically it is so
large that it doesn’t even qualify as an island, it is a continental
landmass.The vast majority of its population live in coastal cities like
Sydney in the east and Perth in the west, and with good reason: the
Australian Outback is one of the world’s driest and hottest regions.
Along with extreme climate and geography, Australia is known for its spectacular—and often deadly—wildlife.
5. BRAZIL
Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilThe largest country in South America at over 8.51 million square kilometers, Brazil
plays home to much of the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon. The
Amazon is so dense and vast that explorers and scientists have found
human civilizations that had never made contact with the outside world.Brazil
also has a lengthy Atlantic coastline on the eastern side, which
stretches approximately 8,000 km. Most of its major cities, including
Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo exist near the coastline.
4. CHINA
The Great Wall of China stretches along a long stretch of the northern border of China.China, the United States of America, and Canada each occupy just under seven percent of the globe’s surface. Of these three, China
is the smallest—just barely—at approximately 9.6 million square
kilometers. It shares a border with 14 different countries, including Afghanistan to the east, Russia to the north, and Vietnam to the south. It is the largest country entirely in Asia.Its
climate and its people vary dramatically. In the north, temperatures
drop to subarctic levels, the center of the nation holds the Gobi, the
world’s 4th largest desert, and in the south temperatures
reach tropical levels regularly. With over 1.35 billion citizens, China
is home to 56 recognized ethnic groups, has the world’s 18th largest Muslim population, the 19th largest Christian population, and with 1.9 doctors per 1000 people, China has more doctors than the entire population of Qatar.
3. AMERICA
Long meandering rivers of North Dakota cut through plains and canyons.The United States, just bigger than China but slightly smaller than Canada, occupies 9.63 million square kilometers. Bordered by Mexico to the south, and Canada to the north, the United States is home to a diverse array of geography and wildlife.Two North-South features split the nation into three distinct
pieces. West of the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific states are known for
year round temperate weather and long expanses of beach along the
California coast. Sandwiched between the Rockies and the Mississippi
River, the great plains stretch from Canada
to Mexico, giving the United States one of the world's most fertile
growing areas. Lastly, the third of the nation east of the Mississippi
is the industrial and economic hub of America, with major cities spread
all along the Eastern seaboard.
2. CANADA
The vast wilderness of Canada is popular for outdoor activity.Canada’s
9.984 million square kilometers make it the largest country in the
western hemisphere, and its 202,080 kilometer coastline means that it
has a longer shoreline than any other nation. With a population density
of 4 people per square kilometer, this means that each of Canada's 35
million people could have 61 acres for themselves.Positioned between the Arctic and the United States,
Canada’s massive frozen tundra extends into the Arctic Circle. Split
similar to the USA; in the western half of the country, the Rocky
Mountains run north to south, and prairies provide huge grain and canola
growing areas. Eastern Canada is the traditional heart of the nation,
with Toronto, Montreal, and the national capital of Ottawa, all located
in the East.
1. RUSSIA
The landscape of Siberia, Russia.Russia’s 17.1 million square kilometres easily make it the world’s largest by area. In fact, if Russia
were to lop off 7 million square kilometers, it would still be the
largest—and the lopped-off section would rank seventh overall!Like China,
Russia borders 14 different countries. Unlike China, none of Russia is
tropical, though humid summers prevail in much of southern Russia. The
Taiga, the world’s largest terrestrial biome, extends all the way from
Eastern Canada throughout the vast majority of northern Russia. Massive
oil reserves exist underneath Russia’s frozen forests and tundra;
however, due to the expense and difficulty of extracting it, much of
Russia’s oil wealth remains untapped.