Environment
Visualizing Countries by Share of Earth’s Surface
Visualizing Countries by Share of Earth’s Surface
There are over 510 million square kilometers of area on the surface of Earth, but less than 30% of this is covered by land. The rest is water, in the form of vast oceans.
Today’s visualization uses data primarily from the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) to rank the world’s countries by their share of Earth’s surface.
Breakdown of Countries Share of Earth’s Surface
The largest countries by surface area are Russia (3.35%), Canada (1.96%), and China (1.88%).
Together they occupy roughly 7.2% of Earth’s surface. Russia is so big that even if we divided the country between its Asian and European sections, those new regions would still be the largest in their respective continents.
Country / Dependency | Total in km² (mi²) | Percentage of Earth's Surface |
---|---|---|
Russia | 17,098,246 (6,601,670) | 3.352% |
Antarctica | 14,000,000 (5,400,000) | 2.745% |
Canada | 9,984,670 (3,855,100) | 1.958% |
China | 9,596,961 (3,705,407) | 1.881% |
United States | 9,525,067 (3,677,649) | 1.867% |
Brazil | 8,515,767 (3,287,956) | 1.670% |
Australia | 7,692,024 (2,969,907) | 1.508% |
India | 3,287,263 (1,269,219) | 0.644% |
Argentina | 2,780,400 (1,073,500) | 0.545% |
Kazakhstan | 2,724,900 (1,052,100) | 0.534% |
Algeria | 2,381,741 (919,595) | 0.467% |
D.R. Congo | 2,344,858 (905,355) | 0.460% |
Greenland (Denmark) | 2,166,086 (836,330) | 0.425% |
Saudi Arabia | 2,149,690 (830,000) | 0.421% |
Mexico | 1,964,375 (758,449) | 0.385% |
Indonesia | 1,910,931 (737,815) | 0.375% |
Sudan | 1,861,484 (718,723) | 0.365% |
Libya | 1,759,540 (679,360) | 0.345% |
Iran | 1,648,195 (636,372) | 0.323% |
Mongolia | 1,564,110 (603,910) | 0.307% |
Peru | 1,285,216 (496,225) | 0.252% |
Chad | 1,284,000 (496,000) | 0.252% |
Niger | 1,267,000 (489,000) | 0.248% |
Angola | 1,246,700 (481,400) | 0.244% |
Mali | 1,240,192 (478,841) | 0.243% |
South Africa | 1,221,037 (471,445) | 0.239% |
Colombia | 1,141,748 (440,831) | 0.224% |
Ethiopia | 1,104,300 (426,400) | 0.216% |
Bolivia | 1,098,581 (424,164) | 0.215% |
Mauritania | 1,030,700 (398,000) | 0.202% |
Egypt | 1,002,450 (387,050) | 0.197% |
Tanzania | 945,087 (364,900) | 0.185% |
Nigeria | 923,768 (356,669) | 0.181% |
Venezuela | 916,445 (353,841) | 0.180% |
Pakistan | 907,843 (350,520) | 0.178% |
Namibia | 825,615 (318,772) | 0.162% |
Mozambique | 801,590 (309,500) | 0.157% |
Turkey | 783,562 (302,535) | 0.154% |
Chile | 756,102 (291,933) | 0.148% |
Zambia | 752,612 (290,585) | 0.148% |
Myanmar | 676,578 (261,228) | 0.133% |
Afghanistan | 652,230 (251,830) | 0.128% |
South Sudan | 644,329 (248,777) | 0.126% |
Somalia | 637,657 (246,201) | 0.125% |
Central African Republic | 622,984 (240,535) | 0.122% |
Ukraine | 603,500 (233,000) | 0.118% |
Madagascar | 587,041 (226,658) | 0.115% |
Botswana | 581,730 (224,610) | 0.114% |
Kenya | 580,367 (224,081) | 0.114% |
France | 543,940 (210,020) | 0.107% |
Yemen | 527,968 (203,850) | 0.104% |
Thailand | 513,120 (198,120) | 0.101% |
Spain | 505,992 (195,365) | 0.099% |
Turkmenistan | 488,100 (188,500) | 0.096% |
Cameroon | 475,442 (183,569) | 0.093% |
Papua New Guinea | 462,840 (178,700) | 0.091% |
Sweden | 450,295 (173,860) | 0.088% |
Uzbekistan | 447,400 (172,700) | 0.088% |
Morocco | 446,550 (172,410) | 0.088% |
Iraq | 438,317 (169,235) | 0.086% |
Paraguay | 406,752 (157,048) | 0.080% |
Zimbabwe | 390,757 (150,872) | 0.077% |
Norway | 385,207 (148,729) | 0.076% |
Japan | 377,976 (145,937) | 0.074% |
Germany | 357,114 (137,882) | 0.070% |
Republic of the Congo | 342,000 (132,000) | 0.067% |
Finland | 338,424 (130,666) | 0.066% |
Vietnam | 331,212 (127,882) | 0.065% |
Malaysia | 330,803 (127,724) | 0.065% |
Ivory Coast | 322,463 (124,504) | 0.063% |
Poland | 312,696 (120,733) | 0.061% |
Oman | 309,500 (119,500) | 0.061% |
Italy | 301,339 (116,348) | 0.059% |
Philippines | 300,000 (120,000) | 0.059% |
Ecuador | 276,841 (106,889) | 0.054% |
Burkina Faso | 274,222 (105,878) | 0.054% |
New Zealand | 270,467 (104,428) | 0.053% |
Gabon | 267,668 (103,347) | 0.052% |
Guinea | 245,857 (94,926) | 0.048% |
United Kingdom | 242,495 (93,628) | 0.048% |
Uganda | 241,550 (93,260) | 0.047% |
Ghana | 238,533 (92,098) | 0.047% |
Romania | 238,397 (92,046) | 0.047% |
Laos | 236,800 (91,400) | 0.046% |
Guyana | 214,969 (83,000) | 0.042% |
Belarus | 207,600 (80,200) | 0.041% |
Kyrgyzstan | 199,951 (77,202) | 0.039% |
Senegal | 196,722 (75,955) | 0.039% |
Syria | 185,180 (71,500) | 0.036% |
Cambodia | 181,035 (69,898) | 0.035% |
Uruguay | 176,215 (68,037) | 0.035% |
Somaliland | 176,120 (68,000) | 0.035% |
Suriname | 163,820 (63,250) | 0.032% |
Tunisia | 163,610 (63,170) | 0.032% |
Bangladesh | 148,460 (57,320) | 0.029% |
Nepal | 147,181 (56,827) | 0.029% |
Tajikistan | 143,100 (55,300) | 0.028% |
Greece | 131,957 (50,949) | 0.026% |
Nicaragua | 130,373 (50,337) | 0.026% |
North Korea | 120,540 (46,540) | 0.024% |
Malawi | 118,484 (45,747) | 0.023% |
Eritrea | 117,600 (45,400) | 0.023% |
Benin | 114,763 (44,310) | 0.022% |
Honduras | 112,492 (43,433) | 0.022% |
Liberia | 111,369 (43,000) | 0.022% |
Bulgaria | 111,002 (42,858) | 0.022% |
Cuba | 109,884 (42,426) | 0.022% |
Guatemala | 108,889 (42,042) | 0.021% |
Iceland | 103,000 (40,000) | 0.020% |
South Korea | 100,210 (38,690) | 0.020% |
Hungary | 93,028 (35,918) | 0.018% |
Portugal | 92,226 (35,609) | 0.018% |
Jordan | 89,342 (34,495) | 0.018% |
Serbia | 88,361 (34,116) | 0.017% |
Azerbaijan | 86,600 (33,400) | 0.017% |
Austria | 83,871 (32,383) | 0.016% |
United Arab Emirates | 83,600 (32,300) | 0.016% |
Czech Republic | 78,865 (30,450) | 0.015% |
Panama | 75,417 (29,119) | 0.015% |
Sierra Leone | 71,740 (27,700) | 0.014% |
Ireland | 70,273 (27,133) | 0.014% |
Georgia | 69,700 (26,900) | 0.014% |
Sri Lanka | 65,610 (25,330) | 0.013% |
Lithuania | 65,300 (25,200) | 0.013% |
Latvia | 64,559 (24,926) | 0.013% |
Togo | 56,785 (21,925) | 0.011% |
Croatia | 56,594 (21,851) | 0.011% |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 51,209 (19,772) | 0.010% |
Costa Rica | 51,100 (19,700) | 0.010% |
Slovakia | 49,037 (18,933) | 0.010% |
Dominican Republic | 48,671 (18,792) | 0.010% |
Estonia | 45,227 (17,462) | 0.009% |
Denmark | 43,094 (16,639) | 0.008% |
Netherlands | 41,850 (16,160) | 0.008% |
Switzerland | 41,284 (15,940) | 0.008% |
Bhutan | 38,394 (14,824) | 0.008% |
Taiwan | 36,193 (13,974) | 0.007% |
Guinea-Bissau | 36,125 (13,948) | 0.007% |
Moldova | 33,846 (13,068) | 0.007% |
Belgium | 30,528 (11,787) | 0.006% |
Lesotho | 30,355 (11,720) | 0.006% |
Armenia | 29,743 (11,484) | 0.006% |
Solomon Islands | 28,896 (11,157) | 0.006% |
Albania | 28,748 (11,100) | 0.006% |
Equatorial Guinea | 28,051 (10,831) | 0.005% |
Burundi | 27,834 (10,747) | 0.005% |
Haiti | 27,750 (10,710) | 0.005% |
Rwanda | 26,338 (10,169) | 0.005% |
North Macedonia | 25,713 (9,928) | 0.005% |
Djibouti | 23,200 (9,000) | 0.005% |
Belize | 22,966 (8,867) | 0.005% |
El Salvador | 21,041 (8,124) | 0.004% |
Israel | 20,770 (8,020) | 0.004% |
Slovenia | 20,273 (7,827) | 0.004% |
Fiji | 18,272 (7,055) | 0.004% |
Kuwait | 17,818 (6,880) | 0.003% |
Eswatini | 17,364 (6,704) | 0.003% |
East Timor | 14,919 (5,760) | 0.003% |
The Bahamas | 13,943 (5,383) | 0.003% |
Montenegro | 13,812 (5,333) | 0.003% |
Vanuatu | 12,189 (4,706) | 0.002% |
Qatar | 11,586 (4,473) | 0.002% |
The Gambia | 11,295 (4,361) | 0.002% |
Jamaica | 10,991 (4,244) | 0.002% |
Kosovo | 10,887 (4,203) | 0.002% |
Lebanon | 10,452 (4,036) | 0.002% |
Cyprus | 9,251 (3,572) | 0.002% |
State of Palestine | 6,020 (2,320) | 0.001% |
Brunei | 5,765 (2,226) | 0.001% |
Trinidad and Tobago | 5,130 (1,980) | 0.001% |
Cape Verde | 4,033 (1,557) | 0.001% |
Samoa | 2,842 (1,097) | 0.001% |
Luxembourg | 2,586 (998) | 0.001% |
Mauritius | 2,040 (790) | 0.000% |
Comoros | 1,862 (719) | 0.000% |
São Tomé and Príncipe | 964 (372) | 0.000% |
Kiribati | 811 (313) | 0.000% |
Bahrain | 778 (300) | 0.000% |
Dominica | 751 (290) | 0.000% |
Tonga | 747 (288) | 0.000% |
Singapore | 728 (281) | 0.000% |
Federated States of Micronesia | 702 (271) | 0.000% |
Saint Lucia | 616 (238) | 0.000% |
Andorra | 468 (181) | 0.000% |
Palau | 459 (177) | 0.000% |
Seychelles | 452 (175) | 0.000% |
Antigua and Barbuda | 442 (171) | 0.000% |
Barbados | 430 (170) | 0.000% |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 389 (150) | 0.000% |
Grenada | 344 (133) | 0.000% |
Malta | 316 (122) | 0.000% |
Maldives | 300 (120) | 0.000% |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 261 (101) | 0.000% |
Marshall Islands | 181 (70) | 0.000% |
Liechtenstein | 160 (62) | 0.000% |
San Marino | 61 (24) | 0.000% |
Tuvalu | 26 (10) | 0.000% |
Nauru | 21 (8.1) | 0.000% |
Monaco | 2.02 (0.78) | 0.000% |
Vatican City | 0.49 (0.19) | 0.000% |
Antarctica, although not a country, covers the second largest amount of land overall at 2.75%. Meanwhile, the other nations that surpass the 1% mark for surface area include the United States (1.87%), Brazil (1.67%), and Australia (1.51%).
The remaining 195 countries and regions below 1%, combined, account for the other half of Earth’s land surface. Among the world’s smallest countries are the island nations of the Caribbean and the South Pacific Ocean. However, the tiniest of the tiny are Vatican City and Monaco, which combine for a total area of just 2.51 km².
The remaining 70% of Earth’s surface is water: 27% territorial waters and 43% international waters or areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction
In the past, nations adhered to the freedom-of-the-seas doctrine, a 17th century principle that limited jurisdiction over the oceans to a narrow area along a nation’s coastline. The rest of the seas did not belong to any nation and were free for countries to travel and exploit.
This situation lasted into the 20th century, but by mid-century there was an effort to extend national claims as competition for offshore resources became increasingly fierce and ocean pollution became an issue.
In 1982, the United Nations adopted the Law of the Sea Convention which extended international law over the extra-territorial waters. The convention established freedom-of-navigation rights and set territorial sea boundaries 12 miles (19 km) offshore with exclusive economic zones up to 200 miles (322 km) offshore, extending a country’s influence over maritime resources.
Does Size Matter?
The size of countries is the outcome of politics, economics, history, and geography. Put simply, borders can change over time.
In 1946, there were 76 independent countries in the world, and today there are 195. There are forces that push together or pull apart landscapes over time. While physical geography plays a role in the identity of nations, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the former ruler of UAE, a tiny Gulf nation, put it best:
“A country is not measured by the size of its area on the map. A country is truly measured by its heritage and culture.”
Environment
Big Oil Profits Reached Record High Levels in 2022
This visual highlights the five big oil companies that doubled their individual profits and earned a cumulative profit of over $200 billion in 2022.

Big Oil Profits Reached Record High Levels in 2022
Last year was a great year for oil companies.
Global crude oil prices had already escalated as global economies began recovering, and demand increased after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shot these prices further up as fossil fuel trade fell under the microscope.
In this graphic, Vipul Sharma of Mastermind Investor uses accumulated earnings data from Energy Monitor to highlight the five companies that made a cumulative profit of over $200 billion in 2022.
The Five Big Oil Winners
Within the span of one year, the five Big Oil companies — ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, and TotalEnergies — more than doubled their profits.
Company | Profit 2021 | Profit 2022 |
---|---|---|
ExxonMobil | $23B | $59.1B |
Shell | $19.3B | $39.9B |
Chevron | $15.6B | $36.5B |
TotalEnergies | $18.1B | $36.2B |
BP | $12.8B | $27.7B |
Securing a total profit of $59.2 billion, U.S. oil giant ExxonMobil recorded the highest total of the lot. In 2021, the company’s profits were $23 billion or less than half of 2022’s haul.
It was joined by Chevron, whose profits rose by over 134% to $36.5 billion, and Shell, whose profit of $39.9 billion was the highest in the company’s 115-year history.
Where Will This Money Go?
One of the main focuses of the COP27 conference in Egypt last year was the global attempt to phase down fossil fuels and move to clean energy.
So far, these massive profits have largely gone to stock buybacks and reinvesting in shareholders. With lower oil prices so far in 2023, how will Big Oil react and spend moving forward?
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