Nigeria has been ranked the fourteenth country among the top 50 Most Agricultural Land in the world.

Agricultural land spans more than 18 million square miles worldwide, forming the foundation of global food production.

In a data analysed by Visual Capitalist using the most recent FAO data compiled by the World Bank, China has the most agricultural land in the world, with roughly 2.0 million square miles.

The United States (1.6 million), Australia (1.4 million), Brazil (914,000) and Russia (832,826) round out the top five countries worldwide.

Each of these countries specialises in different crops.

For example, the U.S. is the world’s largest producer of corn, while Brazil is the top grower of both soybeans and sugarcane.

Meanwhile, Australia has overcome its mostly arid geography to become a major wheat and cereals grower, rivaling major producers like India (689,000) and Ukraine (160,000).

In the data, Asia and Africa account for a large share of the top 50 countries by agricultural land area.

African countries make up nearly half of the top 50 countries worldwide by square mileage of agricultural land area. They’re led by larger countries like Sudan (435,000), South Africa (372,000), and Nigeria (268,000).

The ranking highlights where the world’s largest agricultural footprints are located, spanning major producers across Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Each of these countries specializes in different crops.

For example, the U.S. is the world’s largest producer of corn, while Brazil is the top grower of both soybeans and sugarcane.

Meanwhile, Australia has overcome its mostly arid geography to become a major wheat and cereals grower, rivaling major producers like India (689,000) and Ukraine (160,000).

Africa’s Growing Desert ProblemAfrican countries make up nearly half of the top 50 countries worldwide by square mileage of agricultural land area.

They’re led by larger countries like Sudan (435,000), South Africa (372,000), and Nigeria (268,000).

As with peers in Eurasia and the Americas, African agriculture is increasingly facing challenges from climate change.In particular, the growing desertification problem is reducing countries’ agricultural land, especially in the Sahel region, as temperatures rise and soil becomes less fertile for growing crops.

Over-farming and over-grazing are exacerbating regional soil erosion and deepening desertification.