50 rankedArea
The Largest Countries in the World by Area
The 50 largest countries on Earth ranked by total area, with population, capital and continent for each.
- 1. Russia
- 17.08M km²
- 2. Antarctica
- 13.72M km²
- 3. Canada
- 9.98M km²
Superlatives · Computed From Indexed Data
Geographic Rankings
Data-backed geographic rankings: the tallest dams, highest mountains, largest lakes and reservoirs, deepest ports, most populous cities, and the largest islands, deserts, glaciers, ranges and plateaus. Every figure is computed from the same indexed geometry that backs the atlas detail pages, and every row links through to the full dossier for that place.
- Rankings
- 15
- Ranked Entries
- 750
- Ranked By
- Measured Data
- Sources
- Open Geodata
Height, area, depth, population
Natural Earth, NGA, Wikidata
50 rankedPopulation
The Most Populous Countries in the World
The 50 most populous countries ranked by population, with area, capital and continent for each.
- 1. India
- 1.46 billion
- 2. China
- 1.41 billion
- 3. United States
- 341.78 million
50 rankedArea
The Smallest Countries in the World by Area
The 50 smallest countries and territories ranked by area, with population, capital and continent for each.
- 1. Monaco
- 2 km²
- 2. Gibraltar
- 7 km²
- 3. Tuvalu
- 25 km²
50 rankedHeight
The Tallest Dams in the World
The 50 tallest dams on Earth ranked by structural height, with river, reservoir, generating capacity and completion year for each.
- 1. Jinping-I Dam
- 305 m
- 2. Nurek Dam
- 300 m
- 3. Xiaowan Dam
- 292 m
50 rankedCapacity
The Largest Hydroelectric Dams by Capacity
Hydroelectric dams ranked by installed generating capacity in megawatts, with height, river and completion year. The top 50 total 224 GW.
- 1. Three Gorges Dam
- 22,500 MW
- 2. Baihetan Dam
- 16,000 MW
- 3. Itaipu Dam
- 14,000 MW
50 rankedElevation
The Highest Mountains in the World
The 50 highest named summits on Earth ranked by elevation above sea level, with range, region and country for each.
- 1. Mount Everest
- 8,848 m
- 2. K2
- 8,611 m
- 3. Kanchenjunga
- 8,586 m
50 rankedSurface Area
The Largest Lakes in the World
Natural lakes ranked by surface area, with territory and water-body type. Covers the 50 largest indexed in YearMaps.
- 1. Caspian Sea
- 425,231 km²
- 2. Lake Superior
- 84,920 km²
- 3. Lake Victoria
- 69,385 km²
50 rankedSurface Area
The Largest Reservoirs in the World
Dam-impounded reservoirs ranked by surface area, with the impounding dam and the year each was filled.
- 1. Represa de Sobradinho
- 9,063 km²
- 2. Lake Volta
- 8,175 km²
- 3. Samara Reservoir
- 5,757 km²
50 rankedPopulation
The Most Populous Cities in the World
The world's largest cities ranked by metropolitan population, with country, administrative region and capital status.
- 1. Tokyo
- 35.68 million
- 2. New York
- 19.04 million
- 3. Mexico City
- 19.03 million
50 rankedChannel Depth
The Deepest Ports in the World
Harbours ranked by approach channel depth, with anchorage depth, tidal range and maximum accommodated vessel class.
- 1. Barry
- 56.7 m
- 2. King'S Lynn
- 56.7 m
- 3. Masao
- 56.7 m
50 rankedArea
The Largest Islands in the World
Islands and island groups ranked by mapped area, with region and subregion for each.
- 1. Polynesia
- 33.32M km²
- 2. Melanesia
- 9.32M km²
- 3. Micronesia
- 8.81M km²
50 rankedExtent
The Largest Deserts in the World
The world's great arid zones ranked by mapped extent, with region and subregion for each.
- 1. Sahara
- 4.73M km²
- 2. Gobi Desert
- 1.09M km²
- 3. Kalahari Desert
- 763,095 km²
50 rankedExtent
The Largest Glaciers and Ice Fields
Named glaciers and ice fields ranked by mapped extent — the cryosphere that governs sea level and preserves palaeoclimate records.
- 1. Antarctic Ice Sheet
- 5.66M km²
- 2. Antarctic Ice Sheet
- 3.86M km²
- 3. Antarctic Ice Sheet
- 2.53M km²
50 rankedExtent
The Largest Mountain Ranges in the World
Mountain ranges ranked by mapped extent, with region and subregion — the orogenic belts that organise climate and watersheds.
- 1. Rocky Mountains
- 1.08M km²
- 2. APPALACHIAN Mountains
- 850,356 km²
- 3. Great Dividing Range
- 793,951 km²
50 rankedExtent
The Largest Plateaus in the World
Elevated tablelands ranked by mapped extent, from the Tibetan Plateau downward, with region and subregion.
- 1. Plateau of Tibet
- 3.05M km²
- 2. Central Siberian Plateau
- 2.18M km²
- 3. Western Plateau
- 1.75M km²