Covering an expanse of over 6.6 million square miles, Russia is the world’s largest country by landmass, beating out runner-up Canada by around 2.8 million square miles. It includes nine different time zones and shares land borders with 14 neighboring countries.
Russia’s origins began with the Viking establishment of Kievan Rus in the 9th century. It expanded under the leadership of Viking chieftain Rurik and his ancestors but was broken up by Mongol invaders in 1237. Beginning with the Grand Duchy of Moscow, which was less vulnerable to Mongol attacks due to its remote, forested location, the remnants of Rus unified and expanded, most notably during the reign of Ivan the Terrible from 1533 to 1584.
As its first official tsar, Ivan established the central Russian state and doubled its size by conquering the regions of Kazan, Astrakhan and Siberia. It expanded into the third largest empire in the world by the 1700s, and as the post-revolution Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, it was the largest part of the Soviet Union. With the break-up of the Soviet Union, Russia, also known as the Russian Federation, was officially established on December 25, 1991.
Although it covers around 17% of the world’s inhabited land, Russia is only home to around 2% of Earth’s inhabitants. With a staggering population of over 1.3 billion people, or just over 19% of the global community, China is the most populous country on Earth.
During the Qing Dynasty, from the mid-17th century to early 20th century, China's population swelled from 150 million to 450 million as migratory expansions in farming and advancements in agricultural technology allowed the country to feed a bigger population.
The next massive population boom began after World War II under Mao Zedong’s leadership. China underwent a period of modernization during Mao’s rule, including improvements to its health care system, which increased life expectancy dramatically. At the same time, Mao urged people to have larger families because he believed that population growth would result in the empowerment of the country as a whole. During Mao’s reign, from 1949 to 1976, China’s population grew from approximately 540 million to 940 million.
In order to curb China’s overpopulation, the one-child policy was instituted in 1979 and has slowed the country’s exponential growth, but the population has still climbed to over 1 billion more than the third-ranked United States (313 million).
China may not hold the “most populous” title for long, though. The U.N. predicts that in the next 15 years, China’s and India’s populations will both reach nearly 1.5 billion. At this point, China’s population will begin to decrease, due to an aging population without a sufficient birth rate to sustain growth, and India’s will continue to climb.
FAQs
Russia. The world's largest country is Russia. With a total area of 17,098,246 square kilometers, it is roughly 45 times larger than Japan and makes up 13% of the planet. The nation extends halfway across the globe from its eastern border with Japan to Europe.
What is the largest country in human history? ›
In 1913, 412 million people lived under the control of the British Empire, 23 percent of the world's population at that time. It remains the largest empire in human history and at the peak of its power in 1920, it covered an astonishing 13.71 million square miles - that's close to a quarter of the world's land area.
Which country has the largest history in the world? ›
Egypt. Egypt, with vast swaths of desert in its east and west and the rich Nile River Valley at its heart, is site to one of the world's earliest and greatest civilizations.
Which is 1 largest country in the world? ›
The largest country in the world is Russia with a total area of 17,098,242 Km² (6,601,665 mi²) and a land area of 16,376,870 Km² (6,323,142 mi²), equivalent to 11% of the total world's landmass of 148,940,000 Km² (57,510,000 square miles).
Is Russia bigger than the USA? ›
The U.S. is approximately half the size of Russia when compared to its landmasses. According to NationMaster.com, Russia is 1.8 times larger than America. Despite the extensive land area, Russia hosts only 2% of the world's population while the U.S. ranks third in world population, according to the U.S Census Bureau.
What is the oldest large country? ›
Egypt. Egypt is the oldest country in the world if we accept its founding as 3150 B.C.E. That's the estimated beginning of the reign of Narmer, the first king of the first dynasty of Egypt, and the end of the period considered predynastic or ancient Egypt. The Narmer Palette (circa 3200-3000 B.C.E.)
Who has the biggest empire ever? ›
The British Empire (red) and Mongol Empire (blue) were the largest and second-largest empires in history, respectively. The precise extent of the Mongol Empire at its greatest territorial expansion is a matter of debate among scholars.
Which empire killed the most people? ›
One estimate is that about 10 percent of the world's population was killed either during or immediately after the Mongol invasions, around 37.75–60 million people in Eurasia. These events are regarded as some of the deadliest acts of mass killing in human history. Mongol conquests were described as genocidal.
Who was the richest country in history? ›
11 Richest Empires in Ancient History
- Persian Empire. ...
- Egyptian Empire. ...
- Byzantine Empire. ...
- Ottoman Empire. ...
- India's Mughal Dynasty. ...
- The Song Dynasty. ...
- Mali Empire. ...
- Spanish Empire. Spain sponsored Christopher Columbus, so it got first dibs on the New World.
From 336–323 B.C.E., Alexander of Macedonia (also known as Alexander the Great) not only conquered most of the known world, he also spread Greek culture from Egypt to India.
Switzerland Is No. 1 in the World, According to 2023 Best Countries Report.
Who is the smallest country in the world? ›
Vatican City - (Area: 0.44 sq km)
Set within the heart of Rome, Vatican City is not only the smallest country in the world, but also the spiritual and administrative centre of the Roman Catholic Church.
Is Canada bigger than the US? ›
The land area of Canada is 3, 855, 103 square miles compared to America's 3, 794, 083, making Canada 1.6% larger that the States. Even though Canada is a larger country, the United States has a population of 307,212,123 people compared to 33,487,208 people in Canada in 2010.
What is bigger, China or the USA? ›
Top 10 Largest Countries in the World (by total area km²):
Encyclopedia Britannica gives the third slot to China (9,600,013 km²) and places the United States in fourth. However, other sources, such as the United Nations and the CIA World Factbook, display a larger area for the U.S. and rank it above China.
What is the longest country in the world? ›
Chile, the longest and narrowest country in the world, is flanked on each side by the Cordillera de los Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Its customs are as diverse as its landscapes that stretch from the driest desert in the world to ancient glaciers still waiting to be discovered.
Which country has the most land? ›
Russia - 17,098,242km²
Russia is the largest country in the world, with a total area of 17,098,242km². It's nearly twice as large as Canada, and makes up for roughly 11 per cent of the Earth's total landmass.
Which country has the longest human history? ›
Egypt: Egypt is the oldest country in the world. Various groups of hunter-gatherers settled in the Nile River Valley around 6000 BCE. Egypt's first dynasty, dating back to 3100 BCE, was when King Menes unified Upper and Lower Egypt into a single kingdom.
Was the British Empire bigger than the Roman Empire? ›
At one point in time the British Empire was bigger than the Roman Empire. It was, and still is, the largest empire to have ever existed in human history. This is by all records and in all metrics — land mass, population, etc. This includes, arguably, the British Empire's greatest gift to the world, America itself.
What is the largest country by physical size? ›
Russia is the largest country by far, with a total area of about 17 million square kilometers. Despite its large area, Russia - nowadays the largest country in the world - has a relatively small total population. However, its population is still rather large in numbers in comparison to those of other countries.
