What country is the world's largest in area?

Spanning eleven time zones and two continents, from Eastern Europe to the Pacific Ocean, this immense nation covers over 6.6 million square miles (17.1 million square kilometers). This makes it the undisputed largest country on Earth by land area. To put that in perspective, it is nearly double the size of the runner-up, Canada, which comes in at a still-massive 3.8 million square miles. In fact, its landmass is larger than the entire continent of Antarctica.

This colossal territory accounts for more than 11% of the Earth's total landmass. Its vastness encompasses a staggering range of environments, from the icy, treeless tundra of Siberia and the Arctic to the dense boreal forests known as the taiga, which alone represent the largest forest area in the world. It also includes vast plains, or steppes, in the south and towering mountain ranges like the Urals, which traditionally divide the country into its European and Asian parts.

Interestingly, despite its enormous size, the country has a relatively small population for its area, much of which is concentrated in the more temperate European west. The harsh climate and remote nature of regions like Siberia mean that vast stretches of this giant nation remain sparsely inhabited, a land of incredible scale and natural extremes.