Top 10 Largest Countries in the World

Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus Mountains, South Russia

World Ranking - There are around 196 countries that stretch on the surface of the earth with various types of geography, climate and wildlife. Of the many countries, there are countries with a very small size, maybe even smaller than the size of a village in another country. But there are also countries where the area is vast, there are even some whose area exceeds the extent of a continent.

There is a country that covers an area of 11.5% of the entire surface area of the earth. Even if taken only 10 of the largest countries in the top 10 of the world are combined, then the area can reach 49% of the entire surface area of the earth. It's amazing, because half of the earth is only owned by 10 countries from 196 countries.

The following is a list of the top 10 largest countries based on their area:

10. Algeria - 2,381,741 sq km

Algeria is the only country from the African continent to be included in the list of the top 10 countries based on their area. Algeria is located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, North Africa. The country has a Mediterranean coastline of 998 km. Most of the area is covered by the Sahara desert and highlands with hundreds of meters above sea level. The population of Algeria has reached more than 39 million. The country's economy relies on oil resources, and has a national oil company called Sonatrach. The capital of Algeria is Algiers, and the official language is Arabic and Berber.

9. Kazakhstan - 2,724,900 sq km

Kazakhstan is a transcontinental country where most of its territory is in the Central Asia region, and a small number are in the Eastern European region. The country has a cool and dry climate that is almost valid throughout the year. The population of this country is only around 18 million. Kazakhstan's economy mostly relies on their natural resources, especially from the agriculture, livestock and mineral / oil mining sectors. The capital of Kazakhstan is Astana, and the official language is Kazakh and Russian.

8. Argentina - 2,780,400 sq km 

Argentina is a Latin American country located in the southern part of the South American continent. This country has the most diverse geographic texture and climate in the world. Tropical conditions with many swamp areas in the north give way to freezing glacier areas in the south. The southern tip of Argentina known as Cape Horn is one of the most crowded locations in the world. The capital of Argentina is Buenos Aires which is also one of the most populous metropolitan cities in the world. While the official language used in Argentina is Spanish.

7. India - 3,287,263 sq km

India is a country on the Asian continent that has the second most populous population in the world with a population of more than 1 billion people. India is a country with the largest system of liberal democracy in the world. India is also one of the countries that has important regional powers in the world, very large military power and also has capabilities in terms of nuclear weapons. The economy of India relies heavily on the agricultural sector, the mining industry, diamond grinding, film, textiles, information technology and handicrafts. The capital of India is New Delhi, and the official language is Hindi and English.

6. Australia - 7,741,220 sq km

Australia is a country in the southern hemisphere consisting of the mainland continent of Australia, the island of Tasmania, and various small islands in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. With an area of more than 7.7 million square km, it means that Australia has an area that is more than twice the size of India in the seventh rank. The population of Australia is around 25 million, most of whom live in coastal cities such as Sydney in the east and Perth in the west. The Australian economy is quite strong, adheres to a market economy system with high per capita GDP and low poverty rates. Economic sources mainly come from the services sector, such as tourism, education and financial services, and a small portion comes from agriculture and natural resources. The capital of Australia is Canberra, and the national language is English.

5. Brazil - 8,514,887 sq km

Brazil is the largest country in the South American continent. The Amazon forest, which is the largest rainforest in the world, is mostly located in Brazil. The area of the Amazon forest alone reaches 5.5 million square kilometers, far wider than the country of India. On the eastern side of Brazil it borders the Atlantic Ocean with a coastline length of about 8000 km. The Brazilian economy comes from agriculture, mining, manufacturing and services. Brazil is also the largest coffee producing country in the world. The capital of Brazil is Brasilia, and the official language is Portuguese.

4. People's Republic of China / Tiongkok (PRC) - 9,596,960 sq km

China / PRC is the largest country in Asia, with the largest population in the world reaching 1.4 billion. China borders 14 countries in Asia, including Afghanistan in the east, Russia in the north, and Vietnam in the south. There are 56 ethnic groups recognized in China, the majority of the population are Chinese. China has the largest and most complex economy in the world, and is the fastest growing economy in the world and the largest exporter and importer in the world. And according to observers, China is a big power in Asia that has the potential to become a world superpower. The capital of the PRC is Beijing, and the official language is Mandarin.

3. United States - 9,826,675 sq km

The United States (US) is a federal constitutional republic consisting of 50 states and a federal district. The United States borders the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The other two states, Alaska and Hawaii, are located separately from the mainland of the United States. Alaska is located on the northwestern tip of the North American continent, while Hawaii is a small island located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The economy of the United States implements a mixed capitalist economic system that is supported by abundant availability of natural resources, good infrastructure and high productivity. The main business comes from the wholesale and retail trade sector, and from the manufacturing sector is dominated by chemical products. The US is also the world's third largest oil producer, the largest producer of nuclear and electricity, and natural gas. The capital of the United States is Washington DC, and the national language is English.

2. Canada - 9,984,670 sq km

Canada is the largest country on the American continent which is located in the northernmost part of the North American continent. This country has a coastline of 202,080 km which is the longest coastline of other countries in the world. Canada is classified as a developed country with an economy mainly dependent on the availability of abundant natural resources. The country's economy is ranked the tenth largest in the world thanks to a well-developed international trade network. As a developed country, Canada has a very high per capita income and Human Development Index. The capital of Canada is Ottawa, and the official language is English and French.

Related article: Top 10 Smallest Countries in the World

1. Russia - 17,098,242 sq km

Russia is the largest country in the world. This country stretches from parts of Eastern Europe and covers the entire northern part of the Asian continent. With an area of ​​more than 17 million square kilometers, it means that the broad comparison of Russia with Canada in the second rank has a difference of more than 7 million square kilometers. Thus, Russia represents the largest wide difference in the top 10 largest countries in the world. In fact, even though Russia cut its territory by 7 million square kilometers, it will remain the largest country in the world, while the cut off (7 million square kilometers) will also become the seventh largest country in the world. The Russian economy adheres to a market economy system, and is one of the high-income countries with a high nominal per capita income. Russia has abundant natural resources, especially oil, natural gas, metals and wood which contribute more than 80% of Russia's exports to other countries. Even Russia still has enormous oil reserves under the forest and frozen tundra. However, due to costs and difficulties in extracting it, the oil reserves still cannot be utilized. The capital of Russia is Moscow, and the official language is Russian.