The world is quite a large place. It includes 123 billion acres, and of these,
37 billion are land. If it were to be divided equally among the
world’s population, it would mean each person would get more than four acres. Unfortunately, as we all know, this is not
quite how the world works. Instead, while many have a small plot of their
own, others own the territory of entire nations. Let’s find out who owns the biggest chunks
of Earth in this episode of The Infographics Show, Who Owns The Most Land in the World? Number 10 is Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber
Al-Sabah of Kuwait whose land covers 4.4 million of the 7 million acres in Kuwait. The American government owns some of the area
that isn’t his and has used it to build a large base. The State of Kuwait is bordered by Iraq and
Saudi Arabia and its coast line meets the Persian Gulf. Its inland territory is dry, harsh desert
but at its shore sits the Kuwait Bay. Kuwait is the fifth largest producer of oil
and is therefore quite a wealthy country. 98% of its income comes from oil and the industry
is a source of employment for 96% of its working population. It is so well-off that citizens pay no taxes
while receiving free healthcare and education. Sheikh Al-Sabah, who pledged 500 million in
aid for the Syrian population, has gotten recognition for his generosity and humanitarian
endeavors. Number 9 is King Letsie III of Lesotho who
owns 11,718 square miles of country along with its diamond mines. His position is mostly symbolic, but though
he has no political power, he still maintains ownership of this land. The Kingdom of Lesotho is known for its high
mountain peaks as well as its valleys and is surrounded by the country of South Africa. It is a poor region that relies upon its neighbor
for power and for employment of its people. While tourism and the diamond trade have brought
in profit, they appear to fall short of the needs of the Lesotho population. This is despite the fact that it grows at
a slower than average rate. Number 8 is King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk
of Bhutan who owns about 15,000 square miles of land. He ascended the throne in 2006 at age 18 after
his father, who began his reign at the even younger age of 16, stepped down. Bhutan is a small area wedged between its
much-larger India and China neighbors. It remains a natural and idyllic location
due to strict limitations on tourism. In fact, it requires all who enter the country
to pay $250 per day. That is not the only thing that sets this
region apart. Laws mandate that at least 60% of its land
must remain covered in forest. In fact, it set the Guinness World Record
in 2015 by planting the most trees ever in the span of an hour. Some claim that King Namgyel’s nation is
one of the world’s most poor. However, it doesn’t measure its wealth as
other nations do. Bhutan believes the Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) puts too much emphasis on materialistic forms of wealth. It focuses on a Gross National Happiness measurement
that calculates the level of its residents’ well being instead. Interestingly, when its measurements of subjective
happiness among its population went up from 2010 to 2015, so did household income. Its national income per capita peaked by 2015
as well. Number 7 is King Abdullah II of Jordan who
controls the Hashemite Kingdom which spans around 34,492 square miles. In contrast to other countries, Jordan is
relatively small and lacks oil as a resource. It is a mostly mountainous, desert-based region
but has a rich history as the site of many ancient kingdoms and civilizations. Its ruler, King Abdullah, served in the British
Army before joining the Jordanian Armed Forces. He wasn’t expecting to be named as his father’s
successor and, like few other rulers, has remained humble despite his circumstances. He lives in an apartment rather than any of
the eight available palaces and has been known to mingle with his people while in disguise. He has recently earned the distinction of
being the world’s best paid political figure, making $58 million in annual profits. Number 6 is Sultan Qaboos of Oman who controls
all of Oman, a country off the coast of the Arabian Peninsula where the Arabian Sea and
Persian Gulf meet. The coastal areas of this land are fertile
and rich and support many kinds of crops. However, more inland, much of the area is
covered by dry sand and receives little rainfall. Sultan Oman gained this kingdom and rose to
power after overthrowing his own father, who despite the area’s wealth, failed to bring
the country prosperity. In his stead, Qaboos has improved the country’s
infrastructure, modernized its government, and joined forces with the Arab League and
United Nations. Sultan Oman’s net worth is due to the value
of gas and oil from his lands and have earned him around $700 million. Number 5 is King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand
who owns all of Thailand, or around 128 million acres. This land is in the heart of Southeast Asia
and is very different depending on the area. To the north are hills and forests, in its
center are rice fields and plains, and rough coasts line the country to the south along
its peninsula. King Vajiralongkorn’s father had been the
longest living ruler before his death with a reign of over 70 years; that title is now
held by Queen Elizabeth II. Upon his father’s passing in 2016, the $30
billion legacy he left behind officially became his son’s. The Crown Property Bureau controls these and
all other assets, but acts upon King Vajiralongkorn’s direction. Some of its holdings in addition to his newly
acquired funds include Bangkok real estate, the Siam Commercial Bank, and lucrative businesses
collectively known as the Siam Cement Group. Number 4 is King Mohammed VI of Morocco who
has 175.6 million acres of land. His kingdom is a part of North Africa, situated
across from Spain on the other side of the Strait of Gibraltar. It is covered by more streams than anywhere
else in the north due to water collection in both the RIF and Atlas Mountains. Most Moroccan soil is rich as well and provides
33,000 square miles of land for agriculture. In addition to the wealth of his land, King
Mohammed VI also owns 35% of the Societe Nationale d’Investissement (SNI) company that he inherited
from his father before him. SNI has shares in banks, Attijariwafa, mining
companies, sugar producers, and dairy firms and boasts a believed value of over $10 billion. The profits these investments have given him
earned him first place on Forbes list of the five richest African kings. Number 3 is Pope Francis who owns 187 million
acres. This includes 177 million in embassies around
the globe and 110 acres of what comprise Vatican City. However, while he has assumed a position that
provides him with power, he often forsakes the luxuries that have traditionally come
with it. For example, he made headlines for staying
in a two-room apartment instead of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace. The Vatican’s worth is estimated to be between
$10 and $15 billion. However, Pope Francis’ personal wealth,
a lot of which has he has earned through his ties to the Vatican, is around $25 to $28
million. These figures are estimates, however; a lot
of property has never been appraised and information on the Pope’s finances is not widely known. Number 2 is King Salman of Saudi Arabia, who
succeeded his half-brother Abdullah in 2015, and owns 547 million acres. This is a majority of the Arabian Peninsula
and mostly desert. Though impressive to most, these millions
add up to just 12% of Queen Elizabeth II’s property. However, he has no reason to complain. While many estimate the British royal family’s
wealth is $88 billion, that is nothing next to the royal family of Saudi Arabia whose
worth is closer to $1.4 trillion. Their fortune comes from the rich oil reserves
discovered in their land back when Salam’s father, Abdulaziz ibn Saud, was king. The sale of natural gas and petroleum are
conducted through Al Saud Incorporated, the family business. This company is reported to be worth an excess
of $2 trillion, making it one of the most successful of its kind world-wide. Its’ profits are divided among many thousands
of family members, with the most shared between a select 2,000 of them. King Salman himself is worth $17 billion. He has spent some of these funds on dozens
of apartments and a chateau in France, a palace in Spain, and to create sprawling country
retreats, coastal vacation properties, and yet more palaces in his homeland. Number 1 is Queen Elizabeth II who owns as
many as 6.6 billion acres. This covers not only areas in Great Britain,
but also Ireland, Canada, Australia, the Falkland Islands, and more. Combined, it amounts to a little over one
eighteenth of all the world’s land. This, in turn, provides her great wealth. The U.K.’s longest ruling monarch has a
net worth of $425 million, which include the Sandringham House property with a value of
$65 million and the Balmoral Castle valued at $140 million. In addition to this, she also generates an
income of $54.4 million each year in profits from property in the Crown Estate. This estate covers large areas in central
London, 263,00 acres of farmland, business and retail property, approximately half of
the U.K. shore and nearly all seabed for miles. But that is not all, there is yet more property
known as the Duchy of Lacaster that provide her a further cool $19 million. It’s interesting that Queen Elizabeth II
owns billions of acres of land and the second largest landowner has only millions. Yet, the English royal family is worth many
millions while the Saudi Arabian family is worth over a trillion. Then you have the King of Lesotho who has
thousands of square miles and diamond mines but the region still struggles to support
its people. Guess size doesn’t really matter in the
end. Found this video interesting? Check out our other video Surprisingly High
Paying Jobs. Thanks for watching and I’ll see you back
next time!
