Look at a globe and you’ll see countries of all different sizes. However, most countries are generally medium-sized – with the average nation covering just over 65,000 square kilometres. With that said, there are few nations on the globe that are absolutely massive! Look at Russia, Canada, China, India the United States, Australia and Brazil. Countries like these can be 150 times larger than most other countries. But why? Why are some countries so big?
Actually, there are several reasons why there are a few nations that are much larger than others. Let us explain…
Large Populations Often Expand Across Territory
A first reason why some countries are so big is because their populations are large and have expanded across a significant territory.
Almost all the big countries in the world have large populations – think China, India and the United States. In some of these cases, one reason for the countries being so massive is that, as the nations population grew, people moved across a bigger and bigger area. This resulted in the borders of the country expanding and covering a larger geographical area.
As a nation’s population grows, people historically have moved outwards to find new places to live and lands to farm. As a result, big populations often have continued to expand and so created larger countries.
There are many complex historical reasons for why some countries have bigger populations. However, one result of having more people has almost always been that a country has grown in size. This has meant that population growth can be seen a major reason for why some countries are larger than others.
Although most big countries also have large populations, not all of them do. However, the fact that the majority of bigger countries have more people is a clear sign that it’s one driver behind nations expanding and covering a big territory.
Big Nations Can Be Created By Conquest
A second reason why some countries are so large is because they have expanded through conquest.
Most nations begin as smaller territories where a group of people are concentrated. However, throughout history, as some nations have grown richer and more powerful, they have begun to look at the lands around them and eyed it for conquest. This may be because the land is held by weaker states that are easier to subjugate, or because there are enemy states on the border and there have been ongoing conflicts. Either way, several of the biggest countries in the world became large because they conquered the territory around them.
The national borders of almost every country in the world have changed over the centuries. Many countries have fought and conquered their neighbors. However, one key fact for many of the largest countries in the world is they not only conquered the nation states around them, but also managed to retain them.
Countries such as Russia, China and the United States all fought wars with neighboring states before conquering their territory and incorporating it into their own. This was a key reason why these countries became so large.
Colonization Created Some Large Countries
A third reason why some countries are so much bigger than others is because of colonialism.
Between the 1500s and the mid-20th Century, almost the entire world was taken over by European countries. In fact, many of the border’s nations around the world have today are a legacy from their colonial pasts. There are many instances of colonial powers arbitrary dividing land between them to form separate colonies. When these nations became independent, a lot kept their colonial-era borders.
As colonial powers played such an influential role in how nations around the world were formed, the fact that some countries are larger than other is often times also due to colonialism.
One example of a huge nations being created by colonialism is Brazil. As Spain and Portugal both vied for colonial territory in Latin America, in the late 15th Century, a series of treaties were signed between them in order to prevent conflict. These treaties divided continents, especially Latin America, between Portuguese and Spanish influence. This is one key factor that led to the modern-day creation of Portuguese speaking Brazil – and also why it is so big.
The period of European colonial rule had an enormous impact on how the world is shaped today. Some of the biggest countries owe their borders to this period.
Geographical Features (Or Lack Of) Can Result In Large Nations
Another reason why some nations are really big is because of their geographical features.
Many nations were formed around natural barriers. Geographical features such as mountains, rivers, forests, deserts and jungles create divides between different tribes and groups of people. As well as creating natural barriers between nations, geographical features also allow for a nations easier defense – another reason why countries often expend to have rivers, mountains or forests on their borders.
A major reason why there are countries that are so much larger than others is because of a lack of geographic features. This meant these societies had further to reach in order to obtain natural borders. Russia is a prime example of huge nation that lacked natural defensive barriers, and so throughout history has expanded to find better defensive lines.
Geography is a vital factor in how nations are formed. Countries that lack geographical features, or are made up of wide expanses of flat land, often become bigger countries as a result.
Large Countries Often Have A Lack Of Competing Claims To Their Land
A further reason why there are some countries that are larger than others is because these nations were able to expand as there was no competing claims to the land around them.
Generally, countries look to expand their territory. Acquiring more land can mean access to more resources, arable areas, and places where the population can live. Expanding into new territory also makes a nation more secure, as it can acquire strategically important locations or put a greater distance between it’s main population centres and potential enemies.
Often nations compete with each other to expand into new areas. However, there have been some cases where countries have expanded simply because there is no one on the land to stop them.
Some examples of huge countries that took over land because there was essentially no one there, or no other country laying claim to it, include Canada, Russia, and Australia. Nations such as these expanded into other inhospitable territory but have also then been able to populate these areas somewhat and exploit their natural resources.
One major reason why some countries are so large is because they have been able to take over territory simply because no one else wanted it.
Multiple States Can Unite To Create One Big Country
A final reason why some countries are so big is because multiple states united to create one larger country.
There are many ways that nation’s form. There have been instances where single ethnic, linguistic or cultural groups have been divided across several nation states. In these instances, borders can seem arbitrary and people often push to be united into a single country. This can result in large states coming about.
As countries join together, their territory can significantly expand. As a result, this can be one way that larger nations have formed.
Although there have been instances of bigger nations coming about by smaller nations joining together, in fact often these attempts have failed. A notable example was the United Arab Republic, that joined Egypt and Syria from 1958 to 1961. Yemen and Jordan were also in talks to join the union and this would have created an even larger nation.
Overall, the uniting of smaller nations to create single larger states is one reason why some countries are bigger than others.