No way! You’ll never guess which country is colder than Russia—this list of the chilliest nations on Earth is packed with shocks!
10th Place: Denmark
Known as the "Fairy Tale Kingdom," Denmark’s total area (including two territories not counted as mainland) is way bigger than the other four Nordic countries. And get this—it’s the warmest on this cold-country list! Denmark has super distinct seasons: winter runs from November to March, with temps not too brutal (snow is rare, but rainy, windy days are common, bringing that annoying damp cold). By late autumn, though? It looks like a straight-up fairy tale scene!
9th Place: Finland
Finland has snagged the title of "World’s Happiest Country" for five years straight—they hook you up with subsidies from birth and free high school education! Finns are pretty quiet overall—some even joke they’re total "social introverts" who love keeping their distance in conversations. The Arctic Circle cuts right through the country: summers are short and cozy (like China’s spring), but winters? Brutal. Temps drop as low as -20°C, so staying warm is basically a daily mission for Finns!
8th Place: Mongolia
Bordering China and Russia, Mongolia worships Genghis Khan—airports, streets, you name it, they’re all named after him! Nearly half the year, the country is stuck under a continental high-pressure system, so -30°C is just a regular Tuesday. Ulaanbaatar, the capital, has an average annual temp of only -1.3°C; in the coldest months, it plummets to -40°C, usually with blizzards thrown in. Winter here is endless: temps start crashing in September, snow hits in October, and it doesn’t warm up until May next year.
7th Place: Estonia
Thanks to the ocean, Estonia gets rain nonstop year-round—rainy summers and snowy winters. Its average annual temp is similar to Denmark’s, but winters are next-level colder, averaging around -18°C. Add constant wind and snow, and the cold hits harder. Estonia also has a long winter; locals are known for being pretty reserved (some even "socially shy"), and there are more women than men here.
6th Place: Iceland
Iceland only has around 100k people, but it’s famous for fresh air, jaw-dropping scenery, and tons of volcanoes (40-50 of which are active!). Here’s the plot twist: not the whole island is a freezer! Warm ocean currents keep most areas (except the north and northwest) at around -2°C, with summer highs hitting 20°C. The north, though? Cold currents make it drop to -30°C—just as icy as Mongolia!
5th Place: Canada
Canada’s in northern North America, bordering the Atlantic (east) and Pacific (west). Ocean currents make temps all over the place—total chaos! The north is insanely cold: the farther north you go, the colder it gets. The northernmost parts stay below 0°C 24/7, with lows hitting -60°C. Central and western Canada are warmer, though—highs can reach 40°C—while the south is the sweet spot, averaging around 20°C.
4th Place: Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is the world’s biggest landlocked country, stretching across Europe and Asia. Temps are all over the map, and there are huge glaciers everywhere. The coldest spots hit -56°C, and wind + snow make it feel even worse. January’s average temp is around 4°C (some areas hit 15°C, lucky them!). Also, Kazakhstan has its "Four Treasures": golden statues (for history vibes), Central Asian shepherd dogs, their national bird (the golden eagle), and the legendary tenor Dimash!
3rd Place: Russia
Russia’s temps are all over the scale—total wild card! The coldest spot is Oymyakon Village in Siberia: January lows hit -50°C, and the record low is a bone-chilling -71.2°C. It’s so cold that tons of residents bailed! Winter in Russia is like a real-life snow kingdom: after a snowfall, you open your door and boom—snow piles right in. Even BEARS can’t handle the cold! Russians, though? They’ve mastered winter survival—they stock up on mountains of sausages before the freeze hits.
2nd Place: United States
U.S. states have massive temp differences: most are continental, some subtropical. But the cold in its frigid zones? Deadly. Places like New York and Washington get CRAZY snowfall—up to 254 cm! Some areas drop to -25°C, with a record low of -60°C (just as cold as Russia!). Pro tip: Hang wet pants outside, and they’ll freeze solid in seconds—no lie!
1st Place: Greenland
Greenland (the world’s biggest island) is part of Denmark (3,000 km away), but here’s the tea: neither counts the other as mainland. Denmark leaves Greenland out of its area, and Greenlanders don’t call themselves "Danes." Almost the entire island is in the Arctic Circle—80% of it is covered in ice and snow! Only tiny spots hit 0°C in summer; most of Greenland stays below 0°C year-round, with the coldest spots hitting -70°C. Locals? They’ve adapted like pros, with unique ways to stay warm—they even dance under the aurora. Total romance vibes!
