China has the largest population among the world’s five largest countries by total area.
The five commonly listed largest countries are Russia, Canada, China, the United States, and Brazil. China is third by total area in many standard rankings, yet its population is far larger than that of the other four countries. Its population is concentrated in the eastern and southeastern parts of the country, especially in major river valleys and coastal plains.
This question compares two different measures: geographic size and population. Russia is larger in area, but much of its territory is sparsely populated. Canada is also enormous but has a relatively small population concentrated near the United States border.
China’s capital is Beijing, and its major population centres include Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. The country contains deserts, plateaus, mountains, fertile plains, and long coastlines, producing strong regional differences in settlement.