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This is a list of countries by area in 1989, providing an overview of the world population before the fall of the Iron Curtain.
Political developments before the summer of 1990 are taken into account, including Namibian independence but not German reunification which was finalised only in October, the breakup of Yugoslavia and dissolution of the Soviet Union took place two years later, and the dissolution of Czechoslovakia three years later.
Rank | Country / Dependency | Total in km2 (mi2) | Land in km2 (mi2) | Water in km2 (mi2) | % water | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
– | World | 510,072,000 (196,940,000) | 148,940,000 (57,510,000) | 361,132,000 (139,434,000) | 70.8 | |
1 | Soviet Union | 22,402,200 (8,649,500 ) | 19,635,002
(7,581,079) |
2,767,198 (1,068,421) | 12.3 | The largest country in the world, which spans two continents, and most of northern Eurasia; with about 10.995% (about 1/9th) of the world's total landmass. Russia's European portion is roughly 4,000,000 km2, which is around 40% of the total landmass of Europe, making Russia the largest country in Europe; and its Asian portion, which covers all of Northern Asia, is around 13,100,000 km2, making Russia the largest country in Asia. |
– | Russian SFSR | 17,098,246 (6,601,670) | 16,378,410 (6,323,740) | 719,836 (277,930) | 4.21 | Transcontinental constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) located in Asia and Europe. |
– | Antarctica | 14,200,000 (5,500,000) | 14,200,000 (5,500,000) | 0 (0) | 0 | 13,916,000 km2 (5,373,000 sq mi) (98%) of the land area is covered by ice and snow. Though not itself a country, areas of Antarctica are claimed by a number of countries. [Note 1] |
2 | Canada [Note 2] | 9,984,670 (3,855,100) | 9,093,507 (3,511,023) | 891,163 (344,080) | 8.93 | Largest English- and largest French-speaking country; largest country completely in the Western Hemisphere by total area (second-largest by land area after the United States); with the largest surface area of water; largest contiguous country in North America; Total area and water area figures include area covered by freshwater only and do not include internal waters (non-freshwater) of about 1,600,000 km2, nor territorial waters of 200,000 km2. [1] [2] |
3/4 | China | 9,596,961 (3,705,407) | 9,326,410 (3,600,950) | 270,550 (104,460) | 2.82 | Largest country entirely in Asia, and second-largest country in the world by land area. Excludes Taiwan, disputed territories with India, and disputed islands in the South China Sea. Figures for total area and water area also exclude all coastal and territorial waters. [Note 3] |
United States | 9,525,067 (3,677,649) – 9,833,517 (3,796,742) [4] |
9,147,593 (3,531,905) – 9,147,643 (3,531,925) [4] |
377,424 (145,724) – 685,924 (264,837) [4] |
3.96–6.97 | Largest English-speaking country by land area and largest country in the Western Hemisphere by land area (second-largest by total area after Canada). Secondary figures for total area and water area include all coastal and territorial waters. [Note 3] | |
5 | Brazil | 8,515,767 (3,287,956) | 8,460,415 (3,266,584) | 55,352 (21,372) | 0.65 | Largest Portuguese-speaking country, largest country in South America, largest country in the Southern Hemisphere, [Note 4] and the largest contiguous territory in the Americas. [8] |
6 | Australia | 7,692,024 (2,969,907) | 7,633,565 (2,947,336) | 58,459 (22,571) | 0.76 | Third-largest English-speaking country and largest country in Oceania, largest country without land borders, and the largest country completely in the Southern Hemisphere. [Note 5] |
7 | India | 3,287,263 (1,269,219) | 2,973,190 (1,147,960) | 314,073 (121,264) | 9.55 | Second-largest country entirely in Asia and largest country in South Asia. [Note 6] Largest Hindi-speaking country and most populous Hindu country. |
8 | Argentina | 2,780,400 (1,073,500) | 2,736,690 (1,056,640) | 43,710 (16,880) | 1.57 | Largest Spanish-speaking country and second-largest country in South America. [Note 7] |
– | Kazakh SSR | 2,724,900 (1,052,100) | 2,699,700 (1,042,400) | 25,200 (9,700) | 0.92 | Transcontinental constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) located in Asia and Europe. |
9 | Sudan | 2,505,813 (967,500) | 1,731,671 (668,602) | 2,376,000 (917,000) | 6.97 | Largest country in Africa |
10 | Algeria | 2,381,741 (919,595) | 2,381,741 (919,595) | 0 (0) | 0 | Largest country in the Arab world and the Mediterranean Basin. [Note 8] |
11 | Zaire | 2,344,858 (905,355) | 2,267,048 (875,312) | 77,810 (30,040) | 3.32 | Second-largest French-speaking country. Largest country in Central and Sub-Saharan Africa. Second-largest country in Africa, has the largest French-speaking city ( Kinshasa). |
– | Kingdom of Denmark | 2,220,093 (857,183) | 2,220,072 (857,175) | 21 (8.1) | 0 | UN figure does not include the entire Kingdom area. |
– | Greenland ( Denmark) | 2,166,086 (836,330) | 2,166,086 (836,330) [Note 9] | 0 (0) | 0 | Largest island in the world, largest territory in the Kingdom of Denmark, and the largest inhabited non-sovereign territory in the world. |
12 | Saudi Arabia | 2,149,690 (830,000) | 2,149,690 (830,000) | 0 (0) | 0 | Largest country in Western Asia. Second-largest in the Arab world after Algeria. |
13 | Mexico | 1,964,375 (758,449) | 1,943,945 (750,561) | 20,430 (7,890) | 1.04 | Second-largest Spanish-speaking country by area after Argentina; largest Spanish-speaking country by number of speakers. |
14 | Indonesia | 1,904,569 (735,358) | 1,811,569 (699,451) | 93,000 (36,000) | 4.85 | Transcontinental country located in Asia and Oceania. Largest country in Southeast Asia. Largest island country and archipelagic state in the world by area and population. [15] |
15 | Libya | 1,759,540 (679,360) | 1,759,540 (679,360) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
16 | Iran | 1,648,195 (636,372) | 1,531,595 (591,352) | 116,600 (45,000) | 7.07 | Second-largest country in Western Asia and fourth-largest completely in Asia after China, India, and Saudi Arabia. [Note 10] |
17 | Mongolia | 1,564,110 (603,910) | 1,553,556 (599,831) | 10,560 (4,080) | 0.68 | Second-largest landlocked country and largest that does not border a closed sea. |
18 | Peru | 1,285,216 (496,225) | 1,279,996 (494,209) | 5,220 (2,020) | 0.41 | Third-largest Spanish-speaking country and third-largest country in South America. |
19 | Chad | 1,284,000 (496,000) | 1,259,200 (486,200) | 24,800 (9,600) | 1.93 | Third-largest landlocked country and largest outside of Asia. Fifth-largest country in Africa. |
20 | Niger | 1,267,000 (489,000) | 1,266,700 (489,100) | 300 (120) | 0.02 | Largest country in West Africa. |
21 | Angola | 1,246,700 (481,400) | 1,246,700 (481,400) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
22 | Mali | 1,240,192 (478,841) | 1,220,190 (471,120) | 20,002 (7,723) | 1.61 | |
23 | Ethiopia | 1,229,300 (474,600) | 1,125,000 (434,000) | 104,300 (40,300) | 0.7 | |
24 | South Africa | 1,221,037 (471,445) | 1,214,470 (468,910) | 4,620 (1,780) | 0.38 | Largest country in Southern Africa. |
25 | Colombia | 1,141,748 (440,831) | 1,038,700 (401,000) | 100,210 (38,690) | 8.8 | |
26 | Bolivia | 1,098,581 (424,164) | 1,083,301 (418,265) | 15,280 (5,900) | 1.39 | |
27 | Mauritania | 1,030,700 (398,000) | 1,025,520 (395,960) | 4,480 (1,730) | 0.44 | |
28 | Egypt | 1,002,450 (387,050) | 995,450 (384,350) | 6,000 (2,300) | 0.6 | Transcontinental country located in Asia and Africa. |
29 | Tanzania | 945,087 (364,900) | 885,800 (342,000) | 61,500 (23,700) | 6.49 | |
30 | Nigeria | 923,768 (356,669) | 910,768 (351,649) | 13,000 (5,000) | 1.41 | |
31 | Venezuela | 916,445 (353,841) | 882,050 (340,560) | 30,000 (12,000) | 3.29 | [Note 11] |
32 | Pakistan | 881,913 (340,509) | 856,690 (330,770) | 25,223 (9,739) | 2.86 | [Note 12] |
– | South West Africa | 825,615 (318,772) | 823,290 (317,870) | 2,425 (936) | 0.12 | |
33 | Mozambique | 801,590 (309,500) | 786,380 (303,620) | 13,000 (5,000) | 1.63 | |
34 | Turkey | 783,562 (302,535) | 769,632 (297,157) | 13,930 (5,380) | 1.78 | Transcontinental country located in Asia and Europe. |
35 | Chile | 756,102 (291,933) | 743,812 (287,187) | 12,290 (4,750) | 1.63 | [Note 13] |
36 | Zambia | 752,612 (290,585) | 743,398 (287,028) | 9,220 (3,560) | 1.23 | |
37 | Myanmar | 676,578 (261,228) | 653,508 (252,321) | 23,070 (8,910) | 3.41 |
Second largest country in Southeast Asia. |
38 | Afghanistan | 652,867 (252,073) | 652,867 (252,073) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
39 | France | 640,679 (247,368) | 640,427 (247,270) | 3,374 (1,303) | 0.52 | Figures include metropolitan France (in Europe) as well as the five overseas regions. This does not include New Caledonia (an autonomous sui generis collectivity), the five autonomous overseas collectivities, and the two uninhabited territories (the French Southern Territories and Clipperton Island) which are listed individually, although also part of the French Republic. [Note 14] Second-largest country in Europe after the Soviet Union, and the largest country in the European Communities. |
40 | Somalia | 637,657 (246,201) | 627,337 (242,216) | 10,320 (3,980) | 1.62 | Figures include Somaliland. |
41 | Central African Republic | 622,984 (240,535) | 622,984 (240,535) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
– | Ukrainian SSR | 603,500 (233,000) | 579,300 (223,700) | 24,200 (9,300) | 4.01 | Second-largest constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) in Europe after Russia and a separate member of the United Nations. The largest constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) entirely within Europe. |
42 | Madagascar | 587,041 (226,658) | 581,540 (224,530) | 5,501 (2,124) | 0.94 | Largest island country in Africa and 2nd largest island country in the world. |
43 | Botswana | 581,730 (224,610) | 566,730 (218,820) | 15,000 (5,800) | 2.58 | [Note 15] |
44 | Kenya | 580,367 (224,081) | 569,140 (219,750) | 11,227 (4,335) | 1.93 | |
– | France (metropolitan) | 543,940 (210,020) | Metropolitan France (the part of France located in Europe) | |||
45 | Thailand | 513,120 (198,120) | 510,890 (197,260) | 2,230 (860) | 0.43 | |
46 | Spain | 505,992 (195,365) | 498,980 (192,660) | 6,390 (2,470) | 1.26 |
Largest country in Southern Europe and second-largest member state of European Union. |
– | Turkmen SSR | 488,100 (188,500) | 469,930 (181,440) | 18,170 (7,020) | 3.72 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
47 | Cameroon | 475,442 (183,569) | 472,710 (182,510) | 2,730 (1,050) | 0.57 | |
48 | Papua New Guinea | 462,840 (178,700) | 452,860 (174,850) | 9,980 (3,850) | 2.16 | Third-largest island country in the world. |
49 | Sweden | 450,295 (173,860) | 410,335 (158,431) | 39,960 (15,430) | 8.87 | Largest country in Northern Europe. Third-largest member state of European Union. |
– | Uzbek SSR | 447,400 (172,700) | 425,400 (164,200) | 22,000 (8,500) | 4.92 | Constituent republics of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
50 | Morocco | 446,550 (172,410) | 446,300 (172,300) | 250 (97) | 0.06 | Does not include the disputed Western Sahara, shown separately. [Note 16] |
51 | Iraq | 438,317 (169,235) | 437,367 (168,868) | 950 (370) | 0.22 | [Note 17] |
52 | Paraguay | 406,752 (157,048) | 397,302 (153,399) | 9,450 (3,650) | 2.32 | |
53 | Zimbabwe | 390,757 (150,872) | 386,847 (149,362) | 3,910 (1,510) | 1 | |
54 | Norway | 385,207 (148,729) | 365,957 (141,297) | 19,520 (7,540) | 5.00 | The Kingdom of Norway, including Jan Mayen and Svalbard, but excluding Bouvet Island and the Antarctic territorial claims of Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land. [Note 18] |
55 | Japan | 377,976 (145,937) | 364,546 (140,752) | 13,430 (5,190) | 3.55 | Largest island country in East Asia and the world's 4th largest island country. [Note 19] |
56 | South Yemen | 360,133 (139,048) | ||||
57 | Congo | 342,000 (132,000) | 341,500 (131,900) | 500 (190) | 0.15 | |
58 | Finland | 338,425 (130,667) | 303,816 (117,304) | 34,330 (13,250) | 10.15 | [Note 20] |
59 | Vietnam | 331,212 (127,882) | 310,070 (119,720) | 21,140 (8,160) | 6.38 | |
60 | Malaysia | 330,803 (127,724) | 329,613 (127,264) | 1,190 (460) | 0.35 | |
– | Norway (mainland) | 323,802 (125,021) | 304,282 (117,484) | 19,520 (7,540) | 6.03 | Mainland Norway, excluding Jan Mayen, Svalbard, and the dependencies. [Note 18] |
61 | Ivory Coast | 322,463 (124,504) | 318,003 (122,782) | 4,460 (1,720) | 1.38 | |
62 | Poland | 312,696 (120,733) | 311,888 (120,421) | 791 (305) | 3.07 | |
63 | Oman | 309,500 (119,500) | 309,500 (119,500) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
64 | Italy | 301,339 (116,348) | 294,140 (113,570) | 7,200 (2,800) | 2.39 | |
65 | Philippines | 300,000 (120,000) | 298,170 (115,120) | 1,830 (710) | 0.61 | |
66 | Ecuador | 276,841 (106,889) | 256,369 (98,985) | 6,720 (2,590) | 2.37 | [Note 21] |
67 | Burkina Faso | 274,222 (105,878) | 273,602 (105,638) | 620 (240) | 0.23 | [Note 22] |
68 | New Zealand | 270,467 (104,428) | 262,443 (101,330) | 4,395 (1,697) | 1.65 | [Note 23] |
69 | Gabon | 267,668 (103,347) | 257,667 (99,486) | 10,001 (3,861) | 3.74 | |
– | Western Sahara | 266,000 (103,000) | 266,000 (103,000) | 0 (0) | 0 | Disputed territory. Administration is split between Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, both of which claim the entire territory. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic's administrative control is limited to approximately 20% of the territory, with the remaining 80% of the territory occupied by Morocco. |
70 | West Germany | 248,577 (95,976) | ||||
71 | Guinea | 245,857 (94,926) | 245,717 (94,872) | 140 (54) | 0.06 | |
72 | United Kingdom | 242,495 (93,628) | 241,930 (93,410) | 1,680 (650) | 0.69 |
Largest island country in Europe and Western Hemisphere. [Note 24] |
73 | Uganda | 241,550 (93,260) | 197,100 (76,100) | 43,938 (16,965) | 18.23 | |
74 | Ghana | 238,533 (92,098) | 227,533 (87,851) | 11,000 (4,200) | 4.61 | |
75 | Romania | 238,397 (92,046) | 231,291 (89,302) | 7,100 (2,700) | 2.97 | |
76 | Laos | 236,800 (91,400) | 230,800 (89,100) | 6,000 (2,300) | 2.53 | Only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. |
77 | Yugoslavia | 225,804 (87,183) | ||||
78 | Guyana | 214,969 (83,000) | 196,849 (76,004) | 18,120 (7,000) | 8.43 | |
– | Byelorussian SSR | 207,600 (80,200) | 202,900 (78,300) | 4,700 (1,800) | 2.26 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) and a separate member of the United Nations. |
– | Kirghiz SSR | 199,951 (77,202) | 191,801 (74,055) | 8,150 (3,150) | 4.08 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
79 | Senegal | 196,722 (75,955) | 192,530 (74,340) | 4,192 (1,619) | 2.13 | |
80 | North Yemen | 195,000 (75,000) | 192,530 (74,340) | 4,192 (1,619) | 2.13 | |
81 | Syria | 185,180 (71,500) | 183,630 (70,900) | 1,550 (600) | 0.84 | [Note 25] |
82 | Cambodia | 181,035 (69,898) | 176,515 (68,153) | 4,520 (1,750) | 2.5 | |
83 | Uruguay | 176,215 (68,037) | 175,015 (67,574) | 1,200 (460) | 0.68 | |
84 | Suriname | 163,820 (63,250) | 156,000 (60,000) | 7,820 (3,020) | 4.77 | Smallest country in South America. |
85 | Tunisia | 163,610 (63,170) | 155,360 (59,980) | 8,250 (3,190) | 5.04 | |
86 | Bangladesh | 148,460 (57,320) | 134,208 (51,818) | 14,252 (5,503) | 9.6 | [Note 26] |
87 | Nepal | 147,516 (56,956) | 143,686 (55,477) | 3,830 (1,480) | 2.59 | Largest country in the Himalayan range. [Note 27] |
– | Tajik SSR | 143,100 (55,300) | 141,510 (54,640) | 2,590 (1,000) | 1.81 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
88 | Greece | 131,957 (50,949) | 130,647 (50,443) | 1,310 (510) | 0.99 | |
89 | Nicaragua | 130,373 (50,337) | 119,990 (46,330) | 10,380 (4,010) | 7.96 | Largest country in Central America. |
90 | Czechoslovakia | 127,905 (49,384) | 125,304 (48,380) | 2,602 (1,005) | 4.02 | |
91 | North Korea | 120,540 (46,540) | 120,538 (46,540) | 2 (0.77) | 0.11 | Excludes claim on South Korea. |
92 | Malawi | 118,484 (45,747) | 94,080 (36,320) | 24,404 (9,422) | 20.6 | |
93 | Benin | 114,763 (44,310) | 114,305 (44,133) | 457.569 (176.668) | 0.40 | [Note 28] |
94 | Honduras | 112,492 (43,433) | 111,890 (43,200) | 200 (77) | 0.18 | |
95 | Liberia | 111,369 (43,000) | 96,320 (37,190) | 15,049 (5,810) | 13.51 | |
96 | Bulgaria | 111,002 (42,858) | 108,612 (41,935) | 2,390 (920) | 2.16 | |
97 | Cuba | 109,884 (42,426) | 109,884 (42,426) | 0 (0) | 0.00 | Largest country in the West Indies. |
98 | Guatemala | 108,889 (42,042) | 107,159 (41,374) | 1,730 (670) | 1.59 | |
99 | East Germany | 108,333 (41,828) | 2.34 | |||
100 | Iceland | 103,000 (40,000) | 100,250 (38,710) | 2,750 (1,060) | 2.67 | |
101 | South Korea | 100,210 (38,690) | 99,909 (38,575) | 301 (116) | 0.3 | Excludes claim on North Korea. |
102 | Hungary | 93,028 (35,918) | 89,608 (34,598) | 3,420 (1,320) | 3.68 | |
103 | Portugal | 92,226 (35,609) | 91,119 (35,181) | 1,107 (427) | 1.2 | |
104 | Jordan | 89,342 (34,495) | 88,802 (34,287) | 540 (210) | 0.6 | |
– | Socialist Republic of Serbia | 88,361 (34,116) | 88,246 (34,072) | 115 (44) | 0.13 | Constituent republic of Yugoslavia |
– | Azerbaijan SSR | 86,600 (33,400) | 86,100 (33,200) | 500 (190) | 0.13 | Largest country in Caucasus. Transcontinental constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) located in Asia and Europe. [Note 29] |
105 | Austria | 83,871 (32,383) | 82,445 (31,832) | 1,426 (551) | 1.7 | |
106 | United Arab Emirates | 83,600 (32,300) | 83,600 (32,300) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
107 | Panama | 75,417 (29,119) | 74,340 (28,700) | 1,080 (420) | 1.43 | Transcontinental country in North America and South America. |
108 | Sierra Leone | 71,740 (27,700) | 71,620 (27,650) | 120 (46) | 0.17 | |
109 | Ireland | 70,273 (27,133) | 68,883 (26,596) | 1,390 (540) | 1.98 | The figure shown is for the Republic of Ireland; the island of Ireland is 84,421 km2 or 32,595 sq mi. [28] |
– | Georgian SSR | 69,700 (26,900) | 69,700 (26,900) | 0 (0) | 0 | Transcontinental constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) located in Asia and Europe. [Note 30] |
110 | Sri Lanka | 65,610 (25,330) | 62,732 (24,221) | 2,878 (1,111) | 4.4 | |
– | Lithuanian SSR | 65,300 (25,200) | 62,680 (24,200) | 2,620 (1,010) | 4.01 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
– | Latvian SSR | 64,559 (24,926) | 62,249 (24,034) | 2,340 (900) | 3.62 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
111 | Togo | 56,785 (21,925) | 54,385 (20,998) | 2,400 (930) | 4.23 | |
– | Socialist Republic of Croatia | 56,594 (21,851) | 55,974 (21,612) | 620 (240) | 1.1 | Constituent republic of Yugoslavia |
– | Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina | 51,209 (19,772) | 51,187 (19,763) | 10 (3.9) | 0.02 | Constituent republic of Yugoslavia |
112 | Costa Rica | 51,100 (19,700) | 51,060 (19,710) | 40 (15) | 0.08 | |
113 | Dominican Republic | 48,671 (18,792) | 48,320 (18,660) | 350 (140) | 0.72 | |
– | Estonian SSR | 45,227 (17,462) | 42,388 (16,366) | 2,840 (1,100) | 6.28 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
117 | Denmark | 43,094 (16,639) | 42,434 (16,384) | 660 (250) | 1.53 | Includes Denmark proper only, but excludes the autonomous territories in the Kingdom of Denmark, shown separately. |
118 | Netherlands | 41,865 (16,164) | 33,893 (13,086) | 7,650 (2,950) | 18.41 | Excludes other countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, shown separately. [Note 31] |
119 | Switzerland | 41,284 (15,940) | 39,997 (15,443) | 1,280 (490) | 3.1 | [Note 32] |
120 | Bhutan | 38,394 (14,824) | 38,394 (14,824) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
– | Taiwan | 36,193 (13,974) | 32,260 (12,460) | 3,720 (1,440) | 10.34 | Between 1945 and 1949, the Republic of China included Mainland China, Mongolia, Taiwan, and other areas, totaling 11,418,174 km2 (4,408,582 sq mi). [Note 33] |
121 | Guinea-Bissau | 36,125 (13,948) | 28,120 (10,860) | 8,005 (3,091) | 22.16 | |
– | Moldavian SSR | 33,846 (13,068) | 32,891 (12,699) | 960 (370) | 2.84 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
123 | Belgium | 30,528 (11,787) | 30,278 (11,690) | 250 (97) | 0.82 | |
124 | Lesotho | 30,355 (11,720) | 30,355 (11,720) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
– | Armenian SSR | 29,743 (11,484) | 28,342 (10,943) | 1,401 (541) | 4.71 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
125 | Solomon Islands | 28,896 (11,157) | 27,986 (10,805) | 910 (350) | 3.15 | |
126 | Albania | 28,748 (11,100) | 27,398 (10,578) | 1,350 (520) | 4.7 | |
127 | Equatorial Guinea | 28,051 (10,831) | 28,051 (10,831) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
128 | Burundi | 27,834 (10,747) | 25,680 (9,920) | 2,150 (830) | 7.73 | |
129 | Haiti | 27,750 (10,710) | 27,560 (10,640) | 190 (73) | 0.68 | |
130 | Rwanda | 26,338 (10,169) | 24,668 (9,524) | 1,670 (640) | 6.34 | |
– | Socialist Republic of Macedonia | 25,713 (9,928) | 25,433 (9,820) | 280 (110) | 1.09 | Constituent republic of Yugoslavia |
131 | Djibouti | 23,200 (9,000) | 23,180 (8,950) | 20 (7.7) | 0.09 | |
132 | Belize | 22,966 (8,867) | 22,806 (8,805) | 160 (62) | 0.7 | |
133 | El Salvador | 21,041 (8,124) | 20,721 (8,000) | 320 (120) | 1.52 | Smallest country on the American continent. |
135 | Israel | 20,770 (8,020) | 20,330 (7,850) | 440 (170) | 2.12 | [Note 34] |
– | Socialist Republic of Slovenia | 20,273 (7,827) | 20,151 (7,780) | 122 (47) | 0.6 | Constituent republic of Yugoslavia |
136 | Fiji | 18,272 (7,055) | 18,274 (7,056) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
137 | Kuwait | 17,818 (6,880) | 17,818 (6,880) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
138 | Swaziland | 17,364 (6,704) | 17,204 (6,643) | 160 (62) | 0.92 | |
139 | Bahamas | 13,943 (5,383) | 10,010 (3,860) | 3,870 (1,490) | 27.88 | |
– | Socialist Republic of Montenegro | 13,812 (5,333) | 13,452 (5,194) | 360 (140) | 2.6 | Constituent republic of Yugoslavia |
141 | Vanuatu | 12,189 (4,706) | 12,189 (4,706) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
142 | Qatar | 11,586 (4,473) | 11,586 (4,473) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
143 | Gambia | 11,295 (4,361) | 10,000 (3,900) | 1,295 (500) | 11.47 | Smallest country in continental Africa. |
144 | Jamaica | 10,991 (4,244) | 10,831 (4,182) | 160 (62) | 1.46 | |
145 | Lebanon | 10,452 (4,036) | 10,230 (3,950) | 170 (66) | 1.63 | Second smallest country in continental Asia. |
146 | Cyprus | 9,251 (3,572) | 9,241 (3,568) | 10 (3.9) | 0.11 | [Note 35] |
147 | Brunei | 5,765 (2,226) | 5,265 (2,033) | 500 (190) | 8.67 | |
148 | Trinidad and Tobago | 5,130 (1,980) | 5,128 (1,980) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
149 | Cape Verde | 4,033 (1,557) | 4,033 (1,557) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
150 | Western Samoa | 2,842 (1,097) | 2,821 (1,089) | 10 (3.9) | 0.35 | |
151 | Luxembourg | 2,586 (998) | 2,586 (998) | 0 (0) | 0 | The smallest country that is not a European microstate or island country. |
152 | Mauritius | 2,040 (790) | 2,030 (780) | 10 (3.9) | 0.49 | [Note 36] |
153 | Comoros | 1,862 (719) | 1,862 (719) | 0 (0) | 0 | [Note 37] |
154 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 964 (372) | 964 (372) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
155 | Kiribati | 811 (313) | 811 (313) | 0 (0) | 0 | [Note 38] |
156 | Bahrain | 786 (303) | 786 (303) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
157 | Dominica | 751 (290) | 751 (290) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
158 | Tonga | 747 (288) | 717 (277) | 30 (12) | 4.02 | |
159 | Singapore | 728 (281) | 716 (276) | 10 (3.9) | 1.43 | |
160 | Micronesia | 702 (271) | 702 (271) | Negligible | Negligible | |
161 | Saint Lucia | 616 (238) | 606 (234) | 10 (3.9) | 1.62 | [Note 39] |
162 | Andorra | 468 (181) | 468 (181) | 0 (0) | 0 | European microstate. |
164 | Seychelles | 452 (175) | 455 (176) | 0 (0) | 0 | Smallest country in Africa. |
165 | Antigua and Barbuda | 442 (171) | 442.6 (170.9) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
166 | Barbados | 430 (170) | 431 (166) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
167 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 389 (150) | 389 (150) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
168 | Grenada | 344 (133) | 344 (133) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
169 | Malta | 316 (122) | 316 (122) | 0 (0) | 0 | European microstate. Smallest European Union member state. |
– | Saint Helena ( United Kingdom) | 308 (119) | 308 (119) | 0 (0) | 0 | [Note 40] |
170 | Maldives | 300 (120) | 298 (115) | 0 (0) | 0 | Smallest country in Asia. |
171 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 261 (101) | 261 (101) | 0 (0) | 0 | Smallest country in the Americas and the Western Hemisphere. |
172 | Marshall Islands | 181 (70) | 181 (70) | 11,673 (4,507)[ clarification needed] | 98.47 | |
173 | Liechtenstein | 160 (62) | 160 (62) | 0 (0) | 0 | European microstate. |
174 | San Marino | 61 (24) | 61 (24) | 0 (0) | 0 | European microstate. |
175 | Tuvalu | 26 (10) | 26 (10) | 0 (0) | 0 | Smallest Commonwealth realm. |
176 | Nauru | 21 (8.1) | 21 (8.1) | 0 (0) | 0 | Smallest island country, smallest republic and smallest country that is not a city-state |
177 | Vatican City | 0.49 (0.19) | 0.49 (0.19) | 0 (0) | 0 | European microstate. Smallest country in the world. [Note 41] |
Notably, Encyclopædia Britannica specifies the United States' area (excluding coastal and territorial waters) as 9,525,067 km2, which is less than either source's figure given for China's area. [4] Therefore, while it can be determined that China has a larger area excluding coastal and territorial waters, it is unclear which country has a larger area including coastal and territorial waters.
The United Nations Statistics Division's figure for the United States is 9,833,517 km2 and China is 9,596,961 km2. These closely match the CIA World Factbook figures and similarly include coastal and territorial waters for the United States, but exclude coastal and territorial waters for China.
A discrepancy was deduced from comparing the CIA World Factbook and its previous iterations [7] against the information for United States in Encyclopædia Britannica, particularly its footnote section. [4] In sum, according to older versions of the CIA World Factbook (from 1982 to 1996), the U.S. was listed as the world's fourth-largest country (after Russia, Canada, and China) with a total area of 9,372,610 km2. However, in the 1997 edition, the U.S. added coastal waters to its total area (increasing it to 9,629,091 km2). And then again in 2007, the U.S. added territorial water to its total area (increasing it to 9,833,517 km2). During this time, China's total area remained unchanged. In other words, no coastal or territorial water area was added to China's total area figure. The United States has a coastal water area of 109,362 km2, and a territorial water area of 195,213 km2, for a total of 304,575 km2 of additional water space. This is larger than entire countries like Italy, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Adding this figure to the U.S. will boost it over China in ranking since China's coastal and territorial water figures are currently unknown (no official publication) and thus cannot be added into China's total area figure.
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An editor has nominated this article for deletion. You are welcome to participate in the deletion discussion, which will decide whether or not to retain it. |
This is a list of countries by area in 1989, providing an overview of the world population before the fall of the Iron Curtain.
Political developments before the summer of 1990 are taken into account, including Namibian independence but not German reunification which was finalised only in October, the breakup of Yugoslavia and dissolution of the Soviet Union took place two years later, and the dissolution of Czechoslovakia three years later.
Rank | Country / Dependency | Total in km2 (mi2) | Land in km2 (mi2) | Water in km2 (mi2) | % water | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
– | World | 510,072,000 (196,940,000) | 148,940,000 (57,510,000) | 361,132,000 (139,434,000) | 70.8 | |
1 | Soviet Union | 22,402,200 (8,649,500 ) | 19,635,002
(7,581,079) |
2,767,198 (1,068,421) | 12.3 | The largest country in the world, which spans two continents, and most of northern Eurasia; with about 10.995% (about 1/9th) of the world's total landmass. Russia's European portion is roughly 4,000,000 km2, which is around 40% of the total landmass of Europe, making Russia the largest country in Europe; and its Asian portion, which covers all of Northern Asia, is around 13,100,000 km2, making Russia the largest country in Asia. |
– | Russian SFSR | 17,098,246 (6,601,670) | 16,378,410 (6,323,740) | 719,836 (277,930) | 4.21 | Transcontinental constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) located in Asia and Europe. |
– | Antarctica | 14,200,000 (5,500,000) | 14,200,000 (5,500,000) | 0 (0) | 0 | 13,916,000 km2 (5,373,000 sq mi) (98%) of the land area is covered by ice and snow. Though not itself a country, areas of Antarctica are claimed by a number of countries. [Note 1] |
2 | Canada [Note 2] | 9,984,670 (3,855,100) | 9,093,507 (3,511,023) | 891,163 (344,080) | 8.93 | Largest English- and largest French-speaking country; largest country completely in the Western Hemisphere by total area (second-largest by land area after the United States); with the largest surface area of water; largest contiguous country in North America; Total area and water area figures include area covered by freshwater only and do not include internal waters (non-freshwater) of about 1,600,000 km2, nor territorial waters of 200,000 km2. [1] [2] |
3/4 | China | 9,596,961 (3,705,407) | 9,326,410 (3,600,950) | 270,550 (104,460) | 2.82 | Largest country entirely in Asia, and second-largest country in the world by land area. Excludes Taiwan, disputed territories with India, and disputed islands in the South China Sea. Figures for total area and water area also exclude all coastal and territorial waters. [Note 3] |
United States | 9,525,067 (3,677,649) – 9,833,517 (3,796,742) [4] |
9,147,593 (3,531,905) – 9,147,643 (3,531,925) [4] |
377,424 (145,724) – 685,924 (264,837) [4] |
3.96–6.97 | Largest English-speaking country by land area and largest country in the Western Hemisphere by land area (second-largest by total area after Canada). Secondary figures for total area and water area include all coastal and territorial waters. [Note 3] | |
5 | Brazil | 8,515,767 (3,287,956) | 8,460,415 (3,266,584) | 55,352 (21,372) | 0.65 | Largest Portuguese-speaking country, largest country in South America, largest country in the Southern Hemisphere, [Note 4] and the largest contiguous territory in the Americas. [8] |
6 | Australia | 7,692,024 (2,969,907) | 7,633,565 (2,947,336) | 58,459 (22,571) | 0.76 | Third-largest English-speaking country and largest country in Oceania, largest country without land borders, and the largest country completely in the Southern Hemisphere. [Note 5] |
7 | India | 3,287,263 (1,269,219) | 2,973,190 (1,147,960) | 314,073 (121,264) | 9.55 | Second-largest country entirely in Asia and largest country in South Asia. [Note 6] Largest Hindi-speaking country and most populous Hindu country. |
8 | Argentina | 2,780,400 (1,073,500) | 2,736,690 (1,056,640) | 43,710 (16,880) | 1.57 | Largest Spanish-speaking country and second-largest country in South America. [Note 7] |
– | Kazakh SSR | 2,724,900 (1,052,100) | 2,699,700 (1,042,400) | 25,200 (9,700) | 0.92 | Transcontinental constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) located in Asia and Europe. |
9 | Sudan | 2,505,813 (967,500) | 1,731,671 (668,602) | 2,376,000 (917,000) | 6.97 | Largest country in Africa |
10 | Algeria | 2,381,741 (919,595) | 2,381,741 (919,595) | 0 (0) | 0 | Largest country in the Arab world and the Mediterranean Basin. [Note 8] |
11 | Zaire | 2,344,858 (905,355) | 2,267,048 (875,312) | 77,810 (30,040) | 3.32 | Second-largest French-speaking country. Largest country in Central and Sub-Saharan Africa. Second-largest country in Africa, has the largest French-speaking city ( Kinshasa). |
– | Kingdom of Denmark | 2,220,093 (857,183) | 2,220,072 (857,175) | 21 (8.1) | 0 | UN figure does not include the entire Kingdom area. |
– | Greenland ( Denmark) | 2,166,086 (836,330) | 2,166,086 (836,330) [Note 9] | 0 (0) | 0 | Largest island in the world, largest territory in the Kingdom of Denmark, and the largest inhabited non-sovereign territory in the world. |
12 | Saudi Arabia | 2,149,690 (830,000) | 2,149,690 (830,000) | 0 (0) | 0 | Largest country in Western Asia. Second-largest in the Arab world after Algeria. |
13 | Mexico | 1,964,375 (758,449) | 1,943,945 (750,561) | 20,430 (7,890) | 1.04 | Second-largest Spanish-speaking country by area after Argentina; largest Spanish-speaking country by number of speakers. |
14 | Indonesia | 1,904,569 (735,358) | 1,811,569 (699,451) | 93,000 (36,000) | 4.85 | Transcontinental country located in Asia and Oceania. Largest country in Southeast Asia. Largest island country and archipelagic state in the world by area and population. [15] |
15 | Libya | 1,759,540 (679,360) | 1,759,540 (679,360) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
16 | Iran | 1,648,195 (636,372) | 1,531,595 (591,352) | 116,600 (45,000) | 7.07 | Second-largest country in Western Asia and fourth-largest completely in Asia after China, India, and Saudi Arabia. [Note 10] |
17 | Mongolia | 1,564,110 (603,910) | 1,553,556 (599,831) | 10,560 (4,080) | 0.68 | Second-largest landlocked country and largest that does not border a closed sea. |
18 | Peru | 1,285,216 (496,225) | 1,279,996 (494,209) | 5,220 (2,020) | 0.41 | Third-largest Spanish-speaking country and third-largest country in South America. |
19 | Chad | 1,284,000 (496,000) | 1,259,200 (486,200) | 24,800 (9,600) | 1.93 | Third-largest landlocked country and largest outside of Asia. Fifth-largest country in Africa. |
20 | Niger | 1,267,000 (489,000) | 1,266,700 (489,100) | 300 (120) | 0.02 | Largest country in West Africa. |
21 | Angola | 1,246,700 (481,400) | 1,246,700 (481,400) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
22 | Mali | 1,240,192 (478,841) | 1,220,190 (471,120) | 20,002 (7,723) | 1.61 | |
23 | Ethiopia | 1,229,300 (474,600) | 1,125,000 (434,000) | 104,300 (40,300) | 0.7 | |
24 | South Africa | 1,221,037 (471,445) | 1,214,470 (468,910) | 4,620 (1,780) | 0.38 | Largest country in Southern Africa. |
25 | Colombia | 1,141,748 (440,831) | 1,038,700 (401,000) | 100,210 (38,690) | 8.8 | |
26 | Bolivia | 1,098,581 (424,164) | 1,083,301 (418,265) | 15,280 (5,900) | 1.39 | |
27 | Mauritania | 1,030,700 (398,000) | 1,025,520 (395,960) | 4,480 (1,730) | 0.44 | |
28 | Egypt | 1,002,450 (387,050) | 995,450 (384,350) | 6,000 (2,300) | 0.6 | Transcontinental country located in Asia and Africa. |
29 | Tanzania | 945,087 (364,900) | 885,800 (342,000) | 61,500 (23,700) | 6.49 | |
30 | Nigeria | 923,768 (356,669) | 910,768 (351,649) | 13,000 (5,000) | 1.41 | |
31 | Venezuela | 916,445 (353,841) | 882,050 (340,560) | 30,000 (12,000) | 3.29 | [Note 11] |
32 | Pakistan | 881,913 (340,509) | 856,690 (330,770) | 25,223 (9,739) | 2.86 | [Note 12] |
– | South West Africa | 825,615 (318,772) | 823,290 (317,870) | 2,425 (936) | 0.12 | |
33 | Mozambique | 801,590 (309,500) | 786,380 (303,620) | 13,000 (5,000) | 1.63 | |
34 | Turkey | 783,562 (302,535) | 769,632 (297,157) | 13,930 (5,380) | 1.78 | Transcontinental country located in Asia and Europe. |
35 | Chile | 756,102 (291,933) | 743,812 (287,187) | 12,290 (4,750) | 1.63 | [Note 13] |
36 | Zambia | 752,612 (290,585) | 743,398 (287,028) | 9,220 (3,560) | 1.23 | |
37 | Myanmar | 676,578 (261,228) | 653,508 (252,321) | 23,070 (8,910) | 3.41 |
Second largest country in Southeast Asia. |
38 | Afghanistan | 652,867 (252,073) | 652,867 (252,073) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
39 | France | 640,679 (247,368) | 640,427 (247,270) | 3,374 (1,303) | 0.52 | Figures include metropolitan France (in Europe) as well as the five overseas regions. This does not include New Caledonia (an autonomous sui generis collectivity), the five autonomous overseas collectivities, and the two uninhabited territories (the French Southern Territories and Clipperton Island) which are listed individually, although also part of the French Republic. [Note 14] Second-largest country in Europe after the Soviet Union, and the largest country in the European Communities. |
40 | Somalia | 637,657 (246,201) | 627,337 (242,216) | 10,320 (3,980) | 1.62 | Figures include Somaliland. |
41 | Central African Republic | 622,984 (240,535) | 622,984 (240,535) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
– | Ukrainian SSR | 603,500 (233,000) | 579,300 (223,700) | 24,200 (9,300) | 4.01 | Second-largest constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) in Europe after Russia and a separate member of the United Nations. The largest constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) entirely within Europe. |
42 | Madagascar | 587,041 (226,658) | 581,540 (224,530) | 5,501 (2,124) | 0.94 | Largest island country in Africa and 2nd largest island country in the world. |
43 | Botswana | 581,730 (224,610) | 566,730 (218,820) | 15,000 (5,800) | 2.58 | [Note 15] |
44 | Kenya | 580,367 (224,081) | 569,140 (219,750) | 11,227 (4,335) | 1.93 | |
– | France (metropolitan) | 543,940 (210,020) | Metropolitan France (the part of France located in Europe) | |||
45 | Thailand | 513,120 (198,120) | 510,890 (197,260) | 2,230 (860) | 0.43 | |
46 | Spain | 505,992 (195,365) | 498,980 (192,660) | 6,390 (2,470) | 1.26 |
Largest country in Southern Europe and second-largest member state of European Union. |
– | Turkmen SSR | 488,100 (188,500) | 469,930 (181,440) | 18,170 (7,020) | 3.72 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
47 | Cameroon | 475,442 (183,569) | 472,710 (182,510) | 2,730 (1,050) | 0.57 | |
48 | Papua New Guinea | 462,840 (178,700) | 452,860 (174,850) | 9,980 (3,850) | 2.16 | Third-largest island country in the world. |
49 | Sweden | 450,295 (173,860) | 410,335 (158,431) | 39,960 (15,430) | 8.87 | Largest country in Northern Europe. Third-largest member state of European Union. |
– | Uzbek SSR | 447,400 (172,700) | 425,400 (164,200) | 22,000 (8,500) | 4.92 | Constituent republics of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
50 | Morocco | 446,550 (172,410) | 446,300 (172,300) | 250 (97) | 0.06 | Does not include the disputed Western Sahara, shown separately. [Note 16] |
51 | Iraq | 438,317 (169,235) | 437,367 (168,868) | 950 (370) | 0.22 | [Note 17] |
52 | Paraguay | 406,752 (157,048) | 397,302 (153,399) | 9,450 (3,650) | 2.32 | |
53 | Zimbabwe | 390,757 (150,872) | 386,847 (149,362) | 3,910 (1,510) | 1 | |
54 | Norway | 385,207 (148,729) | 365,957 (141,297) | 19,520 (7,540) | 5.00 | The Kingdom of Norway, including Jan Mayen and Svalbard, but excluding Bouvet Island and the Antarctic territorial claims of Peter I Island and Queen Maud Land. [Note 18] |
55 | Japan | 377,976 (145,937) | 364,546 (140,752) | 13,430 (5,190) | 3.55 | Largest island country in East Asia and the world's 4th largest island country. [Note 19] |
56 | South Yemen | 360,133 (139,048) | ||||
57 | Congo | 342,000 (132,000) | 341,500 (131,900) | 500 (190) | 0.15 | |
58 | Finland | 338,425 (130,667) | 303,816 (117,304) | 34,330 (13,250) | 10.15 | [Note 20] |
59 | Vietnam | 331,212 (127,882) | 310,070 (119,720) | 21,140 (8,160) | 6.38 | |
60 | Malaysia | 330,803 (127,724) | 329,613 (127,264) | 1,190 (460) | 0.35 | |
– | Norway (mainland) | 323,802 (125,021) | 304,282 (117,484) | 19,520 (7,540) | 6.03 | Mainland Norway, excluding Jan Mayen, Svalbard, and the dependencies. [Note 18] |
61 | Ivory Coast | 322,463 (124,504) | 318,003 (122,782) | 4,460 (1,720) | 1.38 | |
62 | Poland | 312,696 (120,733) | 311,888 (120,421) | 791 (305) | 3.07 | |
63 | Oman | 309,500 (119,500) | 309,500 (119,500) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
64 | Italy | 301,339 (116,348) | 294,140 (113,570) | 7,200 (2,800) | 2.39 | |
65 | Philippines | 300,000 (120,000) | 298,170 (115,120) | 1,830 (710) | 0.61 | |
66 | Ecuador | 276,841 (106,889) | 256,369 (98,985) | 6,720 (2,590) | 2.37 | [Note 21] |
67 | Burkina Faso | 274,222 (105,878) | 273,602 (105,638) | 620 (240) | 0.23 | [Note 22] |
68 | New Zealand | 270,467 (104,428) | 262,443 (101,330) | 4,395 (1,697) | 1.65 | [Note 23] |
69 | Gabon | 267,668 (103,347) | 257,667 (99,486) | 10,001 (3,861) | 3.74 | |
– | Western Sahara | 266,000 (103,000) | 266,000 (103,000) | 0 (0) | 0 | Disputed territory. Administration is split between Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, both of which claim the entire territory. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic's administrative control is limited to approximately 20% of the territory, with the remaining 80% of the territory occupied by Morocco. |
70 | West Germany | 248,577 (95,976) | ||||
71 | Guinea | 245,857 (94,926) | 245,717 (94,872) | 140 (54) | 0.06 | |
72 | United Kingdom | 242,495 (93,628) | 241,930 (93,410) | 1,680 (650) | 0.69 |
Largest island country in Europe and Western Hemisphere. [Note 24] |
73 | Uganda | 241,550 (93,260) | 197,100 (76,100) | 43,938 (16,965) | 18.23 | |
74 | Ghana | 238,533 (92,098) | 227,533 (87,851) | 11,000 (4,200) | 4.61 | |
75 | Romania | 238,397 (92,046) | 231,291 (89,302) | 7,100 (2,700) | 2.97 | |
76 | Laos | 236,800 (91,400) | 230,800 (89,100) | 6,000 (2,300) | 2.53 | Only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. |
77 | Yugoslavia | 225,804 (87,183) | ||||
78 | Guyana | 214,969 (83,000) | 196,849 (76,004) | 18,120 (7,000) | 8.43 | |
– | Byelorussian SSR | 207,600 (80,200) | 202,900 (78,300) | 4,700 (1,800) | 2.26 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) and a separate member of the United Nations. |
– | Kirghiz SSR | 199,951 (77,202) | 191,801 (74,055) | 8,150 (3,150) | 4.08 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
79 | Senegal | 196,722 (75,955) | 192,530 (74,340) | 4,192 (1,619) | 2.13 | |
80 | North Yemen | 195,000 (75,000) | 192,530 (74,340) | 4,192 (1,619) | 2.13 | |
81 | Syria | 185,180 (71,500) | 183,630 (70,900) | 1,550 (600) | 0.84 | [Note 25] |
82 | Cambodia | 181,035 (69,898) | 176,515 (68,153) | 4,520 (1,750) | 2.5 | |
83 | Uruguay | 176,215 (68,037) | 175,015 (67,574) | 1,200 (460) | 0.68 | |
84 | Suriname | 163,820 (63,250) | 156,000 (60,000) | 7,820 (3,020) | 4.77 | Smallest country in South America. |
85 | Tunisia | 163,610 (63,170) | 155,360 (59,980) | 8,250 (3,190) | 5.04 | |
86 | Bangladesh | 148,460 (57,320) | 134,208 (51,818) | 14,252 (5,503) | 9.6 | [Note 26] |
87 | Nepal | 147,516 (56,956) | 143,686 (55,477) | 3,830 (1,480) | 2.59 | Largest country in the Himalayan range. [Note 27] |
– | Tajik SSR | 143,100 (55,300) | 141,510 (54,640) | 2,590 (1,000) | 1.81 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
88 | Greece | 131,957 (50,949) | 130,647 (50,443) | 1,310 (510) | 0.99 | |
89 | Nicaragua | 130,373 (50,337) | 119,990 (46,330) | 10,380 (4,010) | 7.96 | Largest country in Central America. |
90 | Czechoslovakia | 127,905 (49,384) | 125,304 (48,380) | 2,602 (1,005) | 4.02 | |
91 | North Korea | 120,540 (46,540) | 120,538 (46,540) | 2 (0.77) | 0.11 | Excludes claim on South Korea. |
92 | Malawi | 118,484 (45,747) | 94,080 (36,320) | 24,404 (9,422) | 20.6 | |
93 | Benin | 114,763 (44,310) | 114,305 (44,133) | 457.569 (176.668) | 0.40 | [Note 28] |
94 | Honduras | 112,492 (43,433) | 111,890 (43,200) | 200 (77) | 0.18 | |
95 | Liberia | 111,369 (43,000) | 96,320 (37,190) | 15,049 (5,810) | 13.51 | |
96 | Bulgaria | 111,002 (42,858) | 108,612 (41,935) | 2,390 (920) | 2.16 | |
97 | Cuba | 109,884 (42,426) | 109,884 (42,426) | 0 (0) | 0.00 | Largest country in the West Indies. |
98 | Guatemala | 108,889 (42,042) | 107,159 (41,374) | 1,730 (670) | 1.59 | |
99 | East Germany | 108,333 (41,828) | 2.34 | |||
100 | Iceland | 103,000 (40,000) | 100,250 (38,710) | 2,750 (1,060) | 2.67 | |
101 | South Korea | 100,210 (38,690) | 99,909 (38,575) | 301 (116) | 0.3 | Excludes claim on North Korea. |
102 | Hungary | 93,028 (35,918) | 89,608 (34,598) | 3,420 (1,320) | 3.68 | |
103 | Portugal | 92,226 (35,609) | 91,119 (35,181) | 1,107 (427) | 1.2 | |
104 | Jordan | 89,342 (34,495) | 88,802 (34,287) | 540 (210) | 0.6 | |
– | Socialist Republic of Serbia | 88,361 (34,116) | 88,246 (34,072) | 115 (44) | 0.13 | Constituent republic of Yugoslavia |
– | Azerbaijan SSR | 86,600 (33,400) | 86,100 (33,200) | 500 (190) | 0.13 | Largest country in Caucasus. Transcontinental constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) located in Asia and Europe. [Note 29] |
105 | Austria | 83,871 (32,383) | 82,445 (31,832) | 1,426 (551) | 1.7 | |
106 | United Arab Emirates | 83,600 (32,300) | 83,600 (32,300) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
107 | Panama | 75,417 (29,119) | 74,340 (28,700) | 1,080 (420) | 1.43 | Transcontinental country in North America and South America. |
108 | Sierra Leone | 71,740 (27,700) | 71,620 (27,650) | 120 (46) | 0.17 | |
109 | Ireland | 70,273 (27,133) | 68,883 (26,596) | 1,390 (540) | 1.98 | The figure shown is for the Republic of Ireland; the island of Ireland is 84,421 km2 or 32,595 sq mi. [28] |
– | Georgian SSR | 69,700 (26,900) | 69,700 (26,900) | 0 (0) | 0 | Transcontinental constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) located in Asia and Europe. [Note 30] |
110 | Sri Lanka | 65,610 (25,330) | 62,732 (24,221) | 2,878 (1,111) | 4.4 | |
– | Lithuanian SSR | 65,300 (25,200) | 62,680 (24,200) | 2,620 (1,010) | 4.01 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
– | Latvian SSR | 64,559 (24,926) | 62,249 (24,034) | 2,340 (900) | 3.62 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
111 | Togo | 56,785 (21,925) | 54,385 (20,998) | 2,400 (930) | 4.23 | |
– | Socialist Republic of Croatia | 56,594 (21,851) | 55,974 (21,612) | 620 (240) | 1.1 | Constituent republic of Yugoslavia |
– | Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina | 51,209 (19,772) | 51,187 (19,763) | 10 (3.9) | 0.02 | Constituent republic of Yugoslavia |
112 | Costa Rica | 51,100 (19,700) | 51,060 (19,710) | 40 (15) | 0.08 | |
113 | Dominican Republic | 48,671 (18,792) | 48,320 (18,660) | 350 (140) | 0.72 | |
– | Estonian SSR | 45,227 (17,462) | 42,388 (16,366) | 2,840 (1,100) | 6.28 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
117 | Denmark | 43,094 (16,639) | 42,434 (16,384) | 660 (250) | 1.53 | Includes Denmark proper only, but excludes the autonomous territories in the Kingdom of Denmark, shown separately. |
118 | Netherlands | 41,865 (16,164) | 33,893 (13,086) | 7,650 (2,950) | 18.41 | Excludes other countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, shown separately. [Note 31] |
119 | Switzerland | 41,284 (15,940) | 39,997 (15,443) | 1,280 (490) | 3.1 | [Note 32] |
120 | Bhutan | 38,394 (14,824) | 38,394 (14,824) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
– | Taiwan | 36,193 (13,974) | 32,260 (12,460) | 3,720 (1,440) | 10.34 | Between 1945 and 1949, the Republic of China included Mainland China, Mongolia, Taiwan, and other areas, totaling 11,418,174 km2 (4,408,582 sq mi). [Note 33] |
121 | Guinea-Bissau | 36,125 (13,948) | 28,120 (10,860) | 8,005 (3,091) | 22.16 | |
– | Moldavian SSR | 33,846 (13,068) | 32,891 (12,699) | 960 (370) | 2.84 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
123 | Belgium | 30,528 (11,787) | 30,278 (11,690) | 250 (97) | 0.82 | |
124 | Lesotho | 30,355 (11,720) | 30,355 (11,720) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
– | Armenian SSR | 29,743 (11,484) | 28,342 (10,943) | 1,401 (541) | 4.71 | Constituent republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) |
125 | Solomon Islands | 28,896 (11,157) | 27,986 (10,805) | 910 (350) | 3.15 | |
126 | Albania | 28,748 (11,100) | 27,398 (10,578) | 1,350 (520) | 4.7 | |
127 | Equatorial Guinea | 28,051 (10,831) | 28,051 (10,831) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
128 | Burundi | 27,834 (10,747) | 25,680 (9,920) | 2,150 (830) | 7.73 | |
129 | Haiti | 27,750 (10,710) | 27,560 (10,640) | 190 (73) | 0.68 | |
130 | Rwanda | 26,338 (10,169) | 24,668 (9,524) | 1,670 (640) | 6.34 | |
– | Socialist Republic of Macedonia | 25,713 (9,928) | 25,433 (9,820) | 280 (110) | 1.09 | Constituent republic of Yugoslavia |
131 | Djibouti | 23,200 (9,000) | 23,180 (8,950) | 20 (7.7) | 0.09 | |
132 | Belize | 22,966 (8,867) | 22,806 (8,805) | 160 (62) | 0.7 | |
133 | El Salvador | 21,041 (8,124) | 20,721 (8,000) | 320 (120) | 1.52 | Smallest country on the American continent. |
135 | Israel | 20,770 (8,020) | 20,330 (7,850) | 440 (170) | 2.12 | [Note 34] |
– | Socialist Republic of Slovenia | 20,273 (7,827) | 20,151 (7,780) | 122 (47) | 0.6 | Constituent republic of Yugoslavia |
136 | Fiji | 18,272 (7,055) | 18,274 (7,056) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
137 | Kuwait | 17,818 (6,880) | 17,818 (6,880) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
138 | Swaziland | 17,364 (6,704) | 17,204 (6,643) | 160 (62) | 0.92 | |
139 | Bahamas | 13,943 (5,383) | 10,010 (3,860) | 3,870 (1,490) | 27.88 | |
– | Socialist Republic of Montenegro | 13,812 (5,333) | 13,452 (5,194) | 360 (140) | 2.6 | Constituent republic of Yugoslavia |
141 | Vanuatu | 12,189 (4,706) | 12,189 (4,706) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
142 | Qatar | 11,586 (4,473) | 11,586 (4,473) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
143 | Gambia | 11,295 (4,361) | 10,000 (3,900) | 1,295 (500) | 11.47 | Smallest country in continental Africa. |
144 | Jamaica | 10,991 (4,244) | 10,831 (4,182) | 160 (62) | 1.46 | |
145 | Lebanon | 10,452 (4,036) | 10,230 (3,950) | 170 (66) | 1.63 | Second smallest country in continental Asia. |
146 | Cyprus | 9,251 (3,572) | 9,241 (3,568) | 10 (3.9) | 0.11 | [Note 35] |
147 | Brunei | 5,765 (2,226) | 5,265 (2,033) | 500 (190) | 8.67 | |
148 | Trinidad and Tobago | 5,130 (1,980) | 5,128 (1,980) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
149 | Cape Verde | 4,033 (1,557) | 4,033 (1,557) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
150 | Western Samoa | 2,842 (1,097) | 2,821 (1,089) | 10 (3.9) | 0.35 | |
151 | Luxembourg | 2,586 (998) | 2,586 (998) | 0 (0) | 0 | The smallest country that is not a European microstate or island country. |
152 | Mauritius | 2,040 (790) | 2,030 (780) | 10 (3.9) | 0.49 | [Note 36] |
153 | Comoros | 1,862 (719) | 1,862 (719) | 0 (0) | 0 | [Note 37] |
154 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 964 (372) | 964 (372) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
155 | Kiribati | 811 (313) | 811 (313) | 0 (0) | 0 | [Note 38] |
156 | Bahrain | 786 (303) | 786 (303) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
157 | Dominica | 751 (290) | 751 (290) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
158 | Tonga | 747 (288) | 717 (277) | 30 (12) | 4.02 | |
159 | Singapore | 728 (281) | 716 (276) | 10 (3.9) | 1.43 | |
160 | Micronesia | 702 (271) | 702 (271) | Negligible | Negligible | |
161 | Saint Lucia | 616 (238) | 606 (234) | 10 (3.9) | 1.62 | [Note 39] |
162 | Andorra | 468 (181) | 468 (181) | 0 (0) | 0 | European microstate. |
164 | Seychelles | 452 (175) | 455 (176) | 0 (0) | 0 | Smallest country in Africa. |
165 | Antigua and Barbuda | 442 (171) | 442.6 (170.9) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
166 | Barbados | 430 (170) | 431 (166) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
167 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 389 (150) | 389 (150) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
168 | Grenada | 344 (133) | 344 (133) | 0 (0) | 0 | |
169 | Malta | 316 (122) | 316 (122) | 0 (0) | 0 | European microstate. Smallest European Union member state. |
– | Saint Helena ( United Kingdom) | 308 (119) | 308 (119) | 0 (0) | 0 | [Note 40] |
170 | Maldives | 300 (120) | 298 (115) | 0 (0) | 0 | Smallest country in Asia. |
171 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 261 (101) | 261 (101) | 0 (0) | 0 | Smallest country in the Americas and the Western Hemisphere. |
172 | Marshall Islands | 181 (70) | 181 (70) | 11,673 (4,507)[ clarification needed] | 98.47 | |
173 | Liechtenstein | 160 (62) | 160 (62) | 0 (0) | 0 | European microstate. |
174 | San Marino | 61 (24) | 61 (24) | 0 (0) | 0 | European microstate. |
175 | Tuvalu | 26 (10) | 26 (10) | 0 (0) | 0 | Smallest Commonwealth realm. |
176 | Nauru | 21 (8.1) | 21 (8.1) | 0 (0) | 0 | Smallest island country, smallest republic and smallest country that is not a city-state |
177 | Vatican City | 0.49 (0.19) | 0.49 (0.19) | 0 (0) | 0 | European microstate. Smallest country in the world. [Note 41] |
Notably, Encyclopædia Britannica specifies the United States' area (excluding coastal and territorial waters) as 9,525,067 km2, which is less than either source's figure given for China's area. [4] Therefore, while it can be determined that China has a larger area excluding coastal and territorial waters, it is unclear which country has a larger area including coastal and territorial waters.
The United Nations Statistics Division's figure for the United States is 9,833,517 km2 and China is 9,596,961 km2. These closely match the CIA World Factbook figures and similarly include coastal and territorial waters for the United States, but exclude coastal and territorial waters for China.
A discrepancy was deduced from comparing the CIA World Factbook and its previous iterations [7] against the information for United States in Encyclopædia Britannica, particularly its footnote section. [4] In sum, according to older versions of the CIA World Factbook (from 1982 to 1996), the U.S. was listed as the world's fourth-largest country (after Russia, Canada, and China) with a total area of 9,372,610 km2. However, in the 1997 edition, the U.S. added coastal waters to its total area (increasing it to 9,629,091 km2). And then again in 2007, the U.S. added territorial water to its total area (increasing it to 9,833,517 km2). During this time, China's total area remained unchanged. In other words, no coastal or territorial water area was added to China's total area figure. The United States has a coastal water area of 109,362 km2, and a territorial water area of 195,213 km2, for a total of 304,575 km2 of additional water space. This is larger than entire countries like Italy, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Adding this figure to the U.S. will boost it over China in ranking since China's coastal and territorial water figures are currently unknown (no official publication) and thus cannot be added into China's total area figure.
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