About this quiz
The ten biggest countries on Earth account for nearly half of all land, yet most people stall around number seven. Type a country and, if it’s in the top ten, it lights up in its ranked slot with its total area in square kilometres. The top two are easy; the surprises live between fifth and tenth place. Rankings use total area (land plus water) from open data, the same convention as most atlases.
Frequently asked questions
Is China or the United States third?
It depends on how coastal and territorial waters are counted, which is why atlases disagree. Our source dataset (mledoze/countries) puts China third and the United States fourth — both are in the top ten either way, so whichever you type counts.
Is total area or land area used?
Total area — land plus inland water — which is the convention behind the familiar ranking where Canada (9,984,670 km²) is second. Under land-area-only rankings some positions shift.
Do territories like Greenland count?
No — the list covers UN member states only. Greenland (2.17 million km²) would rank 12th, but it is a territory of Denmark rather than an independent country.