Which country has the largest land area in the world?

Russia has the largest land area of any country in the world. Its land territory covers roughly 17 million square kilometers, and the country stretches across northern Eurasia from Eastern Europe to the Pacific Ocean.

Russia spans 11 time zones and includes landscapes ranging from Arctic tundra and Siberian taiga to steppes, mountains, and subtropical areas near the Black Sea. Its immense territory makes it the largest country in both Europe and Asia, although most of its population lives in the European part.

A common mix-up involves Canada, China, and the United States, which also rank among the world's largest countries. Canada has a particularly large total area because of its lakes and inland waters, but Russia remains larger by both total area and land area. Antarctica is larger than Russia but is not a sovereign country.