From 1989 through 1996, the total area of the US was listed as 9,372,610 km2 (3,618,780 sq mi) (land + inland water only). The listed total area changed to 9,629,091 km2 (3,717,813 sq mi) in 1997 (Great Lakes area and coastal waters added), to 9,631,418 km2 (3,718,711 sq mi) in 2004, to 9,631,420 km2 (3,718,710 sq mi) in 2006, and to 9,826,630 km2 (3,794,080 sq mi) in 2007 (territorial waters added). Currently, the CIA World Factbook gives 9,826,675 km2 (3,794,100 sq mi), the United Nations Statistics Division gives 9,629,091 km2 (3,717,813 sq mi), and the Encyclopdia Britannica gives 9,522,055 km2 (3,676,486 sq mi)(Great Lakes area included but not coastal waters). These source consider only the 50 states and the Federal District, and exclude overseas territories.

By total area (water as well as land), the United States is either slightly larger or smaller than the People's Republic of China, making it the world's third or fourth largest country. China and the United States are smaller than Russia and Canada in total area, but are larger than Brazil. By land area only (exclusive of waters), the United States is the world's third largest country, after Russia and China, with Canada in fourth. Whether the US or China is the third largest country by total area depends on two factors: (1) The validity of China's claim on Aksai Chin and Trans-Karakoram Tract. Both these territories are also claimed by India, so are not counted; and (2) How US calculates its own surface area. Since the initial publishing of the World Factbook, the CIA has updated the total area of United States a number of times.

Answer the following questions:
1. Is the US larger than China?
2. Is it larger than Russia?
3. How does the US rank in size with land only?
4. Who is larger than US?
5. What was the US total area listed as in 1992?
6. what areas did that include?
7. what did the area change to when they added the Great Lakes and Coastal water?
8. when was that?
9. What did they add later on?
10. when?
11. what did that bring the total area to?
12. Which source currently lists the US area the largest amount?
13. what does it list?
14. which source lists the smallest area?
15. what is it?
16. are there any other sources?
17. how much does it list?
18. which source includes the overseas territories?
19. how many areas' claim is disputed?
20. what are they?
21. which 2 areas are disputed by 2 nations claiming them?
22. which 2 nations disagree on claim?

Numbered answers:
1. Maybe according to how it is measured
2. No
3. third largest country
4. Russia and China
5. 9,372,610 km2
6. land + inland water only
7. 9,629,091 km2
8. 1997
9. territorial waters
10. 2007
11. 9,826,630 km2
12. CIA World Factbook
13. 9,826,675 km2
14. Encyclopdia Britannica
15. 9,522,055 km2
16. United Nations Statistics Division
17. 9,629,091 km2
18. None
19. Two
20. China's territory claim and how the US calculates its own surface area.
21. Aksai Chin and Trans-Karakoram Tract
22. China and India