Algeria is the smallest by area among the world’s ten largest countries.
The ranking compares total area, which combines land and inland water. The ten largest are Russia, Canada, China, the United States, Brazil, Australia, India, Argentina, Kazakhstan and Algeria. Algeria therefore occupies the tenth position, at roughly 2.38 million square kilometres.
Algeria’s size is closely tied to the Sahara, which covers much of the country’s south. It became Africa’s largest country when South Sudan became independent from Sudan in 2011, changing the continental ranking. Algeria also borders the Mediterranean Sea and shares land borders with seven countries.
A common mix-up is confusing total area with land area, or including Antarctica in a country ranking. Antarctica is not a sovereign country, and overseas territories can also change rankings if a table counts them separately or together.