Area

How to study this deck

Land area and population don't move together the way you might expect. Russia and Canada are enormous by area but nowhere near the top of the population list; Bangladesh is the opposite, modest in area but densely packed with people. Studying this deck alongside the population one tends to make both stick better, because the contrast is the useful part.

As with population, aim for the right order of magnitude before worrying about exact square kilometers. Most people don't naturally have a feel for what a million square kilometers looks like, so comparing an unfamiliar country to one you already know is the faster path.