What is the largest country in Europe?
Russia is the largest country in Europe, with about 4 million square kilometers in Europe alone. If only countries fully in Europe are counted, Ukraine is the largest.
Russia is the largest country in the world, covering about 17.1 million square kilometers across Europe and Asia. Its European part, west of the Ural Mountains, holds most of its population and its largest cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. Even this European part is larger than any other country in Europe.
Ukraine is the largest country entirely within Europe, at about 603,500 square kilometers. France is the largest country in the European Union, at about 551,500 square kilometers in mainland Europe, followed by Spain and Sweden.
Smallest in Europe
Europe is also home to the world's smallest country, Vatican City, and several other microstates, including Monaco, San Marino and Liechtenstein. Kazakhstan and Turkey have small parts of their territory in Europe.
Size and population do not always match. Germany has the largest population of any country entirely in Europe, with about 84 million people, even though it is smaller than France, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine. European Russia alone, though, has well over 100 million inhabitants, more than any other European country.
Did You Know?
Russia spans 11 time zones, from Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea to Kamchatka on the Pacific.