What is the largest country in the world by area?

The largest country in the world by area is Russia.

Russia covers approximately 17,098,246 square kilometres, making it the world’s largest country by total area. It stretches across eastern Europe and northern Asia, spanning more than one-eighth of Earth’s inhabited land surface.

Its enormous territory crosses 11 time zones, from the Baltic region and European Russia to the Pacific coast. Russia also shares land borders with 14 countries, including Norway, Finland, China, Mongolia, and North Korea. Moscow is the capital and largest city.

A frequent mix-up involves Canada, China, and the United States, which are also among the world’s largest countries. Canada is generally ranked second by total area, followed by China and the United States, though rankings can vary slightly depending on how inland waters and disputed territories are counted. Russia’s position as the largest country remains clear under standard international area comparisons.