Largest Countries in Europe by Area

A ranked list of Europe’s largest countries by total surface area, based on the most consistent international geographic data.

Surface area refers to the combined land and inland water area within a country’s internationally recognised boundaries. This includes lakes and rivers but excludes overseas territories unless otherwise stated.

Largest country in Europe

Russia is the largest country in Europe by total area. Although it is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Asia, its western portion lies within Europe under standard geographic classifications.

It is also the world’s largest country overall, spanning 11 time zones and sharing land borders with 14 countries. With a population of over 140 million, it is the most populous country in Europe.

Its capital, Moscow, is the largest metropolitan area in Europe, while Saint Petersburg is the country’s second-largest city and a major cultural centre.

Largest countries in Europe by area

These are the 10 largest sovereign countries in Europe, ranked by total surface area:

• Russia*
• Kazakhstan*
• Turkey (Turkiye)*
• France
• Ukraine
• Spain
• Sweden
• Germany
• Finland
• Norway

*Countries marked with an asterisk are transcontinental and included here following the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook’s regional classification.

Smallest countries in Europe by area

These are the 10 smallest independent countries in Europe by total surface area:

• Vatican City
• Monaco
• San Marino
• Liechtenstein
• Malta
• Andorra
• Luxembourg
• Kosovo
• Montenegro
• Slovenia

Note: Cyprus is geographically located in Western Asia and is therefore excluded from the lists above, despite its political and cultural alignment with Europe.

Complete ranking of European countries by area

The table below ranks European countries and some territories by total surface area in square kilometres (sq km) and square miles (sq mi).

Total area figures can vary slightly between sources due to differences in how inland waters, disputed regions, and boundary definitions are treated.

For consistency and comparability, this ranking uses data from the CIA World Factbook and follows its regional classification.

Global ranking refers to each country’s position worldwide when all countries and territories are ranked by total surface area.

For a broader geographic comparison, see the full global ranking of the world’s largest countries by total surface area.

Notes on European geography and size

Europe is the second-smallest continent by land area, yet it contains a wide range of country sizes, from transcontinental states like Russia to microstates covering just a few square kilometres.

Land area does not necessarily correlate with population density, economic power, or political influence. However, total surface area remains a key geographic characteristic used in regional comparisons and international datasets.