This guide compares the biggest and smallest countries in the world in a way that's perfect for kids ages 8–12, with fun facts and free printable worksheets to explore them.
The biggest countries
Russia is the largest country on Earth — it alone covers about one-eighth of all the land on the planet.
Canada holds more lake water than anywhere else in the world.
China is home to the Great Wall, the longest thing ever built by human hands.
Australia is the only nation on Earth that is also a whole continent.
The smallest countries
Vatican City is the smallest country in the world — at under half a square kilometer, it fits inside the city of Rome.
Monaco has more people packed into each square kilometer than any other country.
San Marino is the world's oldest republic, going all the way back to the year 301 AD.
Nauru is the smallest republic on Earth by both land and population.
How do we measure a country's size?
Usually we measure countries by their land area — how much ground they cover on a map. But you can also compare them by population, which is how many people live there. A country can be huge in area but have few people, or tiny but very crowded, like Monaco.
That's what makes comparing countries so interesting.
Explore the world's countries
Discover the giants in our Largest Countries activity book and the tiny nations in the Smallest Countries activity book — each with facts, word searches and an Explorer Certificate. Or start with a free worksheet.
A fun challenge: can you name the biggest country and the smallest country in the world?