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List of countries and dependencies by area

List of countries and dependencies by area is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of countries and dependencies by area rather than just read about it. In short: This is a list of the world's countries and their dependencies, ranked by total area, including land and water. This list includes entries that are not limited to those in the ISO 3166-1 standard, which covers sovereign states and dependent territories.

List of countries and dependencies by area — main illustration
List of countries and dependencies by area — illustration

Key takeaways

  • List of countries and dependencies by area belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect List of countries and dependencies by area to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of List of countries and dependencies by area from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

This is a list of the world's countries and their dependencies, ranked by total area, including land and water. This list includes entries that are not limited to those in the ISO 3166-1 standard, which covers sovereign states and dependent territories. All 193 member states of the United Nations plus the two observer states are given a rank number. Largely unrecognised states not in ISO 3166-1 are included in the list in ranked order. The areas of such largely unrecognised states are in most cases also included in the areas of the more widely recognised states that claim the same territory; see the notes in the "Notes" column for each country for clarification. Not included in the list are entities such as the European Union which do not encompass any non-overlapping preclaimed land. This list includes three measurements of area:

Total area: the sum of land and water areas within international boundaries and coastlines. Land area: the aggregate of all land within international boundaries and coastlines, excluding water area. Inland water area: the sum of the surface areas of all inland water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, and rivers) within international boundaries and coastlines. Coastal internal waters may be included. Territorial seas, contiguous zones and exclusive economic zones are not included unless otherwise noted. Total area is taken from the United Nations Statistics Division unless otherwise noted. Land and water are taken from the Food and Agriculture Organization unless otherwise noted. The CIA World Factbook is most often used when different UN departments disagree. Other sources and details for each entry may be specified in the relevant footnote.

Countries and dependencies by area

See also

List of countries and dependencies by population density List of countries and dependencies by population List of largest cities List of largest empires Lists of political and geographic subdivisions by total area List of sovereign states Orders of magnitude (area) regional lists: List of African countries by area List of Asian countries by area List of European countries by area List of North American countries by area List of Oceanian countries by area List of South American countries by area

Notes

References

External links Encyclopaedia Britannica: List of the world's countries, dependencies, and territories by total area https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/largest-countries-in-the-world https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/countries_by_area.htm cia.gov

Illustrations

List of countries and dependencies by area: Dymaxion map of the world with the 30 largest countries and territories by area
Dymaxion map of the world with the 30 largest countries and territories by area
List of countries and dependencies by area: Countries of the world by area (legend in km2)
Countries of the world by area (legend in km2)

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of countries and dependencies by area

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of countries and dependencies by area claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of countries and dependencies by area before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of countries and dependencies by area ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of countries and dependencies by area

In research
List of countries and dependencies by area appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses List of countries and dependencies by area in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
List of countries and dependencies by area is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Geography-related lists, International rankings, Lists by area, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for List of countries and dependencies by area outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study List of countries and dependencies by area in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what List of countries and dependencies by area means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain List of countries and dependencies by area out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is List of countries and dependencies by area in simple terms?

This is a list of the world's countries and their dependencies, ranked by total area, including land and water. This list includes entries that are not limited to those in the ISO 3166-1 standard, which covers sovereign states and dependent territories.

Why does List of countries and dependencies by area matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study List of countries and dependencies by area?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on List of countries and dependencies by area.

Tags

  • Geography-related lists
  • International rankings
  • Lists by area
  • Lists of countries by geography
  • Water by country

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