COUNTRY BASICS
Compare country basics on world ranking maps
Start with four measures that shape how we picture a country: its area, population, population density and independence reference year. Together they provide a practical first look at national scale and settlement.
01 / HOW TO READ
Read scale before interpreting difference
Area and population are totals, while density relates the two as a national average. The independence entry is a reference year from the cited source, not a complete measure of a state’s historical age. Open each map to check the definition and coverage.
02 / CHOOSE A RANKING
Country basics ranking maps
Open a theme to compare countries on a ten-level heat map and check the complete ranking, country values, reference years and sources.
Area
This is total surface area, which includes inland water and does not describe how much land is habitable.
View the area ranking mapPopulation
Population reflects the accumulated effects of births, deaths and migration.
View the population ranking mapPopulation density
This divides population by total surface area; it is a national average, not a measure of crowding in every place.
View the population density ranking mapIndependence / founding reference year
This is the first reference year in the CIA Factbook independence entry, not a complete measure of a state’s historical age.
View the independence / founding reference year ranking map03 / KEEP EXPLORING