 |
What is the biggest country in the world? |
People & Places
There are a few different ways to think about which of the world’s countries is the “biggest.” You can consider which country has the most land, or which country has the most people!
According to land area, the biggest country in the world is Russia, with over six and a half million square miles! Following Russia are Canada, the United States, China, and Brazil.
According to population, the largest country is China, with over one billion people! (That’s a one followed by nine zeros!) Following China, the other biggest populations live in India, the United States, Indonesia, and Brazil.
Of course, these numbers can change – if a country acquires or loses a certain territory it can become bigger or smaller in land, and if the size of a population changes it would also switch around the order!
When people look at the total land area of a country, sometimes the order of the biggest gets switched around – it depends on whether or not you count certain territories associated with that country, and whether or not you count land area where people don’t live, such as lakes!
Living Large!
Do you live in one of the biggest countries in the world, either by land or by population? (Or by both!) If so, what is it like? How do you think it would be different to live in a smaller country?
If you don’t live in one of the biggest countries, what do you think it would be like to live in a bigger place or a place with more people? What might be some of the benefits and the disadvantages to it?
How do you think a country’s size affects the way the country runs and the way people around the world view that country??
