Maps commonly used in textbooks and on phones can distort the true size of countries, making regions near the poles appear larger than they actually are due to the Mercator projection.

According to global data, Russia is the largest country in the world by land area, covering about 17.09 million square kilometres — nearly twice the size of the second-largest country, Canada.

Despite its vast size, Russia ranks ninth globally in population due to large uninhabitable regions.

Other countries in the top five by area include United States, China and Brazil.

Meanwhile, India and China are the most populous among the largest nations, each with over 1.4 billion people.

In comparison, the United Kingdom covers about 242,945 square kilometres and ranks between 78th and 80th in size globally, but has a population of around 69 million.

At the other end of the scale, Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, spanning just 0.44 square kilometres with a population of around 500 people.

Other small nations include Monaco, Nauru and the Maldives.

Experts note that country size does not directly reflect population, as many large nations contain deserts or extreme climates that limit habitation, while smaller countries can have relatively dense populations.