Is China Bigger than the US? (Explained)

Many parallels are drawn between China and the United States. Both have distinct forms of governance, cuisine, religious beliefs, and economy. Another significant distinction between the two is the size of each country. 

Many people believe that The United States is fairly vast, but they may be surprised to learn how large it is in comparison to China. Here’s what you need to know about China’s and the United States’ size differences.

Is China Bigger than the United States?

No, China is not greater in size than the United States. China covers around 3.7 million square miles. The United States covers around 3.8 million square miles.

The territories that the US also claims are part of the reason that the US is somewhat larger than China. Having said that, China does have a larger geographical mass than the United States.

The country covers 3.6 million square miles of land, while the United States covers 3.5 million square miles. This is because much of the territory owned by the United States includes bodies of water or islands.

However, if China claims any of the contested regions that it has, it might wind up being larger than the United States.

They have disputed land with India, for example, known as Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin. Arunachal Pradesh is located in South Tibet, whilst Aksai Chin is located near Kashmir.

If China were to officially claim these regions, the country would be 4% larger than the United States. China has also attempted to make some of the South China Sea islands it holds more livable.

It has been an expensive undertaking, but if it is successful, it may be able to expand its marine reach much further. However, the United States currently has a greater area than China.

Which is the Largest Country?

Although the United States is larger in terms of geography than China, it is not the largest country in the world. In reality, it is just a third. Russia is the largest country by area.

Russia has a total land area of 17,098,250 square kilometers. Canada comes in second with a land area of 9,879,750 square kilometers.

Keep in mind that, while Canada has a big land area, much of it is water. Canada is smaller than the United States in terms of land area. The land area of Canada is 8,965,590 square kilometers.

The United States has a total land area of 9,147,420 square kilometers. However, when the total territory is considered, Canada is larger than the United States by 9,831,510 square kilometers.

Having said that, Russia is the largest country. It has nearly double the land area of any other country. If China were to officially claim these regions, the country would be 4% larger than the United States.

China has also attempted to make some of the South China Sea islands it holds more livable.

It has been an expensive undertaking, but if it is successful, it may be able to expand its marine reach much further. However, the United States currently has a greater area than China.

Frequent Disagreements Over Which is Larger

When comparing the sizes of the United States and China, there are frequent disagreements over which is larger. That’s because it all relies on how the person calculates their size.

There are two primary methods for comparing countries based on their size. Their size is determined by their domains. This covers their coastal waterways as well. Then there’s the matter of landmass.

This is the real land area that they own, excluding all bodies of water and coastal seas. The two nations are close enough in size that omitting or incorporating water might cause them to disagree about who is larger.

When it comes to territory, the United States is greater than China. This is because their area extends rather deep into coastal seas, increasing its size.

When comparing land masses, China is larger than the United States. Because it has fewer bodies of water, the United States cannot rely on its vast coastline land to extend its size.

Because of this disparity, some analysts argue that China is larger than the United States, while others claim that the United States is larger.

If China were to officially claim these regions, the country would be 4% larger than the United States. China has also attempted to make some of the South China Sea islands it holds more livable.

It has been an expensive undertaking, but if it is successful, it may be able to expand its marine reach much further. However, the United States currently has a greater area than China.

Is China’s Population Larger than that of the United States?

When it comes to population, some people make a comparison between China and the United States. There is no doubt that China has the most people.

China’s population is projected to be 1.44 billion people. China’s population exceeds that of numerous other countries combined.

To have the same population as China, for example, a combination of South America, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, excluding Russia, would be required.

The population of the United States is predicted to be 331 million people. China’s population surpassed 1 billion people in 1980, making it the world’s biggest.

However, there were some reservations about its high population. China implemented the One-Child Policy, which barred families from having more than one child.

It was an attempt to curb population growth. However, the government soon understood that the program would have disastrous consequences for its labor markets.

They abandoned the one-child policy in favor of a two-child policy. The harm, however, had already been done. Young Chinese people’s fertility rates have declined.

With fewer young people around, China will have to deal with the eventual problems in its domestic labor market.

With fewer individuals working, their bigger, older population would use more resources and rely on the earnings earned by the young people.

Their economy may face major difficulties if they do not have a big younger population to support them.

How Did America Acquire its Territories?

Most people underestimate the size of the United States. Everyone knows it has 50 states, yet the country is far larger than that.

There are additionally nine unoccupied territories, one federal district known as Washington D.C., five self-governing territories, and one incorporated territory.

Given how many territories the United States owns, you may be wondering how it came to own so many. Here’s how the United States got its land.

1. The American Revolutionary War

The Revolutionary War in 1778 marked the beginning of the development of the United States.

Colonists who desired independence from the United Kingdom battled against British armies attempting to maintain their hold on the 13 colonies they had founded.

Despite their difficulties, the American troops finally beat the British, and Great Britain acknowledged their independence.

Because of this acknowledgment, the 13 colonies that had battled against Great Britain became the country’s founding states.

However, the newly formed United States of America did not receive just this land from Britain. The pact they signed acknowledged the United States’ independence from the Mississippi River.

This was the boundary between British and French and Spanish territories. The pact also saw the United Kingdom cede Florida to Spain. That would come in handy later.

The original outline of the United States began to take shape after the Revolutionary War.

2. The Purchase of Louisiana

The United States would not get its next large piece of territory until 1803. Previously, the land belonged to France.

It held a large tract of property that stretched from New Orleans to North Dakota and Montana. It covered an area of 828,000 square miles. However, the region was becoming a burden for France.

It wasn’t making enough money to be a worthwhile investment. Napoleon Bonaparte was fighting a war in Europe at the time.

It wasn’t going as planned, and the French general was running low on finances. Due to the rising costs of the property and his need for more money, Bonaparte chose to sell it to the United States.

The region was sold for the ridiculously low sum of $15 million. Following the purchase, the United States western border expanded even further.

Although states would take time to form, the country had nearly doubled in size.

3. Treaty of Adams and Onis

Spain has dispatched explorers all across the Western hemisphere. Some of them arrived in Florida and established forts and villages.

Their explorations in that area, however, had never gotten the type of investment that others had.

As a result, their forts were unkempt, and Spain knew that if the US decided to invade and grab Florida, they wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight. John Quincy Adams, Secretary of State, sensed an opportunity.

He met with Spanish authorities to examine the possibility of a treaty between the two countries. Although it took years to finalize, the Florida Purchase became effective in 1819.

Spain signed over Florida to the United States. Although there was no official cost involved with the pact, the government did end up giving $5 million to American individuals who filed claims against Spain.

Following the Florida Purchase, the United States’ southern boundary extended to the ocean on the eastern side.

4. Annexation of Texas

It belonged to Spain before it belonged to Mexico. For a while, Mexico was a Spanish-controlled colony until staging its revolt against the country in 1821.

It gained independence from Spain and established its own country. That meant that some of Spain’s former territories now belonged to Mexico. One of those territories was Texas.

However, only a few Spanish-Mexican settlers occupied Texas. To keep Texas out of the hands of the US, Mexico encouraged American immigrants.

Stephen Austin was one of the most well-known immigrants to make the voyage. He took 25,000 additional immigrants with him.

Mexico believed that the immigrants would learn Spanish and trade with them. However, the immigrants continued to speak English and traded more with the US than with Mexico.

In 1835, a watershed moment occurred. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Mexico’s president at the time, declared himself a dictator and overturned the constitution.

He was well aware that his claim would almost certainly spark rebellions in some locations. Texas was one of the states.

To prevent the conflict from starting, he dispatched the Mexican army to Texas to disarm the people. In the community of Gonzales, this became an issue.

When the Mexican army tried to take down a cannon, a small Texan militia arrived and beat them off. The Mexicans withdrew, but Gonzales kept its gun. 

This little battle would end up sparking the Texas Revolution. The revolt lasted several months until Mexico succumbed. In its wake, the Republic of Texas was created.

The United States annexed Texas in 1845, bringing it into the fold. The United States was able to add 389,000 square miles of land that had previously belonged to Mexico and Spain peacefully. It had continued to expand westward.

5. Mexican Cession

Even though the United States had conquered Texas, it had not yet become an official state. That had to wait until the short Mexican-American War. Tensions between the two countries got stronger over time.

The tensions were centered on many border issues. When a territorial dispute erupted in 1848, Congress declared war on Mexico. The conflict was short-lived, and Mexico finally succumbed.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed by the two countries.

With the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Texas became an actual state, and the United States was able to acquire significantly more land that had previously belonged to Mexico.

They added areas that would eventually become California, Nevada, and Utah, as well as sections of Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, and New Mexico.

Mexico earned $15 million as a result of the procedure, but the United States expansion was practically complete.

6. The Purchase of Alaska

Russia found itself in a predicament comparable to that of Spain in 1867. It held Alaska as a territory, but it knew it was only a matter of time until the US claimed it as well.

Russia had just finished fighting in the Crimean War and was still tired. It understood that if the US intended to conquer Alaska, it would have very little capacity to stand against them.

This is because, like Spain, Russia did not invest in her Alaskan outposts and colonies.Its people were not prepared to fight a full-fledged war with the United States.

As a result, the Russian Emperor, Alexander II, began talks with the United States about a prospective sale. The discussion went on into the night.

On March 30, 1867, however, Russia agreed to sell Alaska to the United States for $7.2 million. Alaska would not be admitted to the Union as a state until 1959.

7. The Confederate States of America

It’s also worth noting that, while the United States has significantly expanded its territory over the years, it has also lost some territory at times.

Many southern states wanted to separate from the United States because of problems with slavery and state rights. They were known as the Confederate States of America.

The states that had chosen to secede were:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Georgia
• Florida
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Missouri
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Virginia

Following their separation, the federal government and the Confederate states engaged in a lengthy and violent war. It was dubbed the American Civil War.

The battle evolved into a campaign to free African American slaves and secure their rights as citizens of the United States. The fight eventually concluded in favor of the federal troops.

The states that had seceded rejoined the union. However, for a while, the official borders of the United States stopped north of the states that had seceded.

8. The Guano Islands Act

The Guano Islands Act was approved by Congress in 1856. It was a statute that permitted American residents to acquire control of unclaimed islands if they contained guano deposits.

The islands might be located anywhere as long as they were not claimed and were not subject to the sovereignty of other countries.

The measure also empowered the President to employ the military to defend the islands and their resources from outside forces.

Guano was a valuable resource in the 1800s because it could be used as both an agricultural fertilizer and a source of saltpeter for gunpowder.

As a result, numerous American businesspeople sought offshore islands to claim and begin sourcing for guano. This marked the beginning of insular zones in US possessions.

The US possessed possession of over 94 islands at one point. By 1903, 66 of those islands had been designated as formal territories. 

After depleting the guano, the majority of these claims were subsequently withdrawn. The islands that still fall under the control of the US include:

• Baker Island
• Howland Island
• Jarvis Island
• Johnston Atoll
• Kingman Reef/Danger Rock
• Midway Atoll
• Navassa Island
• Bajo Nuevo Bank
• Serranilla Bank
• Swain Island
• Bajo Nuevo Bank and Serranilla Bank are both in dispute with Colombia. 

9. The Republic of Hawaii

For a long time, Hawaii has been a self-governing island nation. Following annexation, it became the Republic of Hawaii in 1898.

Hawaii became the Territory of Hawaii a few years later, in 1900. Hawaii did not become the official 50th state until 1959.

As a result, their forts were unkempt, and Spain knew that if the US decided to invade and grab Florida, they wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight. John Quincy Adams, Secretary of State, sensed an opportunity.

He met with Spanish authorities to examine the possibility of a treaty between the two countries. Although it took years to finalize, the Florida Purchase became effective in 1819.

Spain signed over Florida to the United States. Although there was no official cost involved with the pact, the government did end up giving $5 million to American individuals who filed claims against Spain.

Following the Florida Purchase, the United States’ southern boundary extended to the ocean on the eastern side.

10. Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is perhaps the most well-known territory of the United States.

Before the Spanish arrived to occupy it, it was known as Porto Rico and was home to indigenous people. It was ruled by Spain until the Spanish-American War.

When America won the war in 1898, it took possession of Puerto Rico. Its name will eventually be changed to Puerto Rico.

Its inhabitants became American citizens in 1917, but they have little influence in Congress. They are mostly self-governing, with significant monitoring from the US federal government.

Conclusion

While China has a greater land mass than the United States, the US is ultimately larger due to its several territories and coastline jurisdictions. Having said that, China has the world’s biggest population.

The road taken by the United States to gain all of its land and territory was long and tumultuous, with some issues still ongoing.

CSN Team.