North America’s land area is dominated by three giants in the north, while the countries of Central America and the Caribbean are, by comparison, quite small. This article ranks North America’s 10 biggest sovereign countries by land area, using the latest data, and pairs each with its current population.
Why Canada and the United States dominate this list
Before getting to the full ranking, it is worth noting just how lopsided North America’s land distribution is. The United States and Canada alone account for the vast majority of the continent’s total sovereign land area, while the next closest country, Mexico, has less than a quarter of either country’s landmassCanada’s land area is 9,093,510 km², and the United States’ land area is 9,147,420 km², compared to Mexico’s 1,943,950 km². Every other country on the continent, from Nicaragua down to the smallest Caribbean island nation, is dramatically smaller still.
The 10 biggest countries in North America by land area and population
| Rank | Country | Land area (km²) | Population (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 9,147,420 | 349,035,494 |
| 2 | Canada | 9,093,510 | 40,467,728 |
| 3 | Mexico | 1,943,950 | 132,997,658 |
| 4 | Nicaragua | 120,340 | 7,097,329 |
| 5 | Honduras | 111,890 | 11,184,760 |
| 6 | Guatemala | 107,160 | 18,967,978 |
| 7 | Cuba | 106,440 | 10,892,659 |
| 8 | Panama | 74,340 | 4,625,718 |
| 9 | Costa Rica | 51,060 | 5,174,789 |
| 10 | Dominican Republic | 48,320 | 11,609,500 |
These figures reflect land area only, based on data compiled from United Nations statistics.There are 23 sovereign countries in North America, spanning from Canada in the north to Panama in the south
A closer look at the top three
The United States narrowly edges out Canada for the top spot by land area, though the two countries are close enough that different measurement methods can shift the order slightly. Both dwarf the rest of the continent combined.
Mexico ranks third, with a land area of just under 1.94 million square kilometers. Despite having far less land than the US or Canada, Mexico’s population of nearly 133 million makes it the second most populous country in North America, behind only the United States.
Nicaragua rounds out the top three among Central American nations, and it is worth noting that the ranking from fourth place onward drops sharply. Nicaragua’s land area of 120,340 square kilometers is still less than 1.5% of Mexico’s, illustrating just how much land is concentrated in the continent’s three northernmost countries.
A note on Greenland
One territory deserves a mention here, even though it does not appear in the sovereign country ranking above. Greenland has a land area of 410,450 square kilometers, larger than every Central American and Caribbean country on this listGreenland’s land area is 410,450 km². However, Greenland is not a sovereign country. It is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, so it is excluded from country rankings even though it is geographically part of North America and would otherwise rank fourth by size.
Countries just outside the top 10
Belize is the next largest sovereign country after the Dominican Republic, with a land area of 22,810 square kilometers. El Salvador follows at 20,720 square kilometers, and Bahamas comes in after that at 10,010 square kilometers.
Area versus population: they don’t move together
Pairing area with population data shows how little the two figures correlate outside the top three. Guatemala, for example, ranks sixth by land area but has a larger population than Cuba, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic, all of which rank close to it on the area list. Canada presents the opposite pattern: it is the second largest country by land area in the entire world, yet its population of roughly 40.5 million is smaller than Guatemala’s near 19 million spread across a small fraction of the land, giving Canada one of the lowest population densities of any country on Earth.
Common myths versus documented facts
Myth: “Mexico is one of the smaller countries in North America.” This is inaccurate. While Mexico is far smaller than the United States and Canada, it is still by far the third largest sovereign country on the continent, with more than 16 times the land area of the next largest country, Nicaragua.
Myth: “Greenland is the fourth biggest country in North America.” This is true only by land area and only if Greenland is counted as a country, which it is not. Greenland remains a Danish territory, so the fourth spot among sovereign countries actually belongs to Nicaragua.
Documented fact: The United States, Canada, and Mexico together hold the vast majority of North America’s total sovereign land area, with a sharp drop-off to Nicaragua in fourth placeThe United States’ land area is 9,147,420 km², Canada’s is 9,093,510 km², and Mexico’s is 1,943,950 km², compared to Nicaragua’s 120,340 km².
Documented fact: Land area and population size do not move together in North America. Guatemala, ranked sixth by area, has a larger population than several countries ranked higher on the land area list, including Cuba and Panama.
The bottom line
By land area, the United States, Canada, and Mexico dominate North America’s top three spots by an enormous margin, followed by Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Cuba, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic to round out the top 10. Population figures tell a different story, with Mexico and Guatemala both punching above their land area ranking, and Canada standing out as a country with a huge landmass but a comparatively small population.
This article is based on publicly available geography and statistical reference sources as of September 2026. Land area and population figures are drawn from established international sources and can be revised over time as new data is released. Readers are encouraged to check the linked sources directly for the most current figures. If you spot an error or have a correction, please reach out and let us know.
References
[1] 7 Continents: North America, Worldometer
[2] Largest Countries in the World by Area, Worldometer
[3] Did You Know There Are 23 Countries in North America?, Yahoo News
