Borders define nations. The political and possibly natural limits of a country determine its physical territory, and thus its size.
Political boundaries are the artificial lines that separate one political entity, such as a country or state, from another. Natural borders are oceans, seas, rivers, and mountain ranges.
The Largest Countries
The three largest sovereign countries by surface area are Russia, Canada, and the United States. Together they occupy roughly a quarter of Earth’s landmass. Other heavyweights in size are China, Brazil, Australia, India, Argentina and Kazakhstan.
The Smallest Countries
Among the world’s smallest countries are the island nations of the Caribbean and the South Pacific Ocean (Oceania).
The three smallest countries in the world are Vatican City, an enclave within Rome, Italy. Monaco, a principality at the Mediterranean coast and an enclave within Southern France, and Nauru, an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
