Big Country: the World's 10 Largest Nations by Land Area

At 10.0 million sq km, Canada is the world's second-largest country, yet has a population density of just 4 people per sq km. Its 202,080 km of coastline is the longest of any country in the world.

At 9.8 million sq km, the US is the world's third-largest country by total area. From Arctic tundra in Alaska to tropical rainforest in Hawaii, it contains more climate zones than any other nation.

China's 9.6 million sq km encompasses virtually every terrain type on Earth: deserts, rainforests, plateaux, and steppes. With 1.4 billion people, it has one of the highest population densities relative to habitable land.

At 8.5 million sq km, Brazil is the largest country in the Southern Hemisphere and South America. The Amazon basin alone — occupying 60% of Brazil — contains the largest tropical biodiversity on the planet.

At 7.7 million sq km, Australia is the world's largest country-continent. Its Outback covers 70% of the land mass, yet 85% of Australians live in coastal cities, hugging the edges of the ancient, parched interior.

India's 3.3 million sq km makes it the seventh-largest country and the most densely populated major nation, with 1.4 billion people — more than the entire Western Hemisphere combined.

Argentina's 2.8 million sq km stretches from tropical jungles in the north to the sub-Antarctic Patagonian steppe in the south — a country of extraordinary geographic range and biodiversity.

Central Asia's giant at 2.7 million sq km is the world's largest landlocked country. Once the core of the Soviet space programme (Baikonur Cosmodrome), it now sits at the crossroads of the modern New Silk Road.

Africa's largest country at 2.4 million sq km, over 80% of which is covered by the Sahara Desert. Algeria's vast, mostly uninhabited interior contrasts with a densely populated Mediterranean coastline home to 40 million people.

At 10.0 million sq km, Canada is the world's second-largest country, yet has a population density of just 4 people per sq km. Its 202,080 km of coastline is the longest of any country in the world.

At 9.8 million sq km, the US is the world's third-largest country by total area. From Arctic tundra in Alaska to tropical rainforest in Hawaii, it contains more climate zones than any other nation.

China's 9.6 million sq km encompasses virtually every terrain type on Earth: deserts, rainforests, plateaux, and steppes. With 1.4 billion people, it has one of the highest population densities relative to habitable land.

At 8.5 million sq km, Brazil is the largest country in the Southern Hemisphere and South America. The Amazon basin alone — occupying 60% of Brazil — contains the largest tropical biodiversity on the planet.

At 7.7 million sq km, Australia is the world's largest country-continent. Its Outback covers 70% of the land mass, yet 85% of Australians live in coastal cities, hugging the edges of the ancient, parched interior.

India's 3.3 million sq km makes it the seventh-largest country and the most densely populated major nation, with 1.4 billion people — more than the entire Western Hemisphere combined.

Argentina's 2.8 million sq km stretches from tropical jungles in the north to the sub-Antarctic Patagonian steppe in the south — a country of extraordinary geographic range and biodiversity.

Central Asia's giant at 2.7 million sq km is the world's largest landlocked country. Once the core of the Soviet space programme (Baikonur Cosmodrome), it now sits at the crossroads of the modern New Silk Road.

Africa's largest country at 2.4 million sq km, over 80% of which is covered by the Sahara Desert. Algeria's vast, mostly uninhabited interior contrasts with a densely populated Mediterranean coastline home to 40 million people.