World geography (largest by area): Which is the largest country in the world by total geographical area? Consider sovereign states only and compare overall land area plus internal waters. Choose the correct country.

Given data

• Asked to identify the world's largest country by area.

Concept/Approach
Compare total area (land + inland waters) of the listed sovereign states.

Step-by-step
• Russia ≈ 17.1 million km².• USA ≈ 9.8 million km²; Australia ≈ 7.7 million km²; Vatican City ≈ 0.49 km².

Common pitfalls
Confusing population rank with area rank, or mixing continent vs. country.

Final Answer
Russia