Top 5 Oil Producing Countries

Crude oil, one of the most important commodities, has long dominated the world economic scene as also the political landscape. However, commodities have been witnessing some downward journey after the US become gas surplus with the discovery of shale gas. Here are the top 5 oil producing countries in the world.

Russia: Russia, also officially known as the Russian Federation, is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising of 83 federal subjects. It is also the world's 9th most populous nation with 143 million people as of 2012.

The country has topped the list of oil producing countries and produces 10.73 million barrels of oil per day.

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia, officially known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the largest Arab state in western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and the 2nd largest in the Arab world. Saudi Arabia has the world's largest oil reserves which are concentrated largely in the Eastern Province.

But when it comes to production, the country is 2nd only to Russia, having produced 9.57 million barrels per day as of 2012.

United States: The United States of America is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal district. The 48 contiguous states and the federal district of Washington D.C. are in central North America between Canada and Mexico. 

The country ranks 3rd in the list of countries with the highest oil production. It produces 9.15 million barrels per day.

China: China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a sovereign state located in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of over 1.35 billion. The PRC is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party, with its seat of government in the capital city of Beijing.

The country produces 4.18 million barrels of oil per day and has secured the 4th spot in this list of highest oil producing countries. 

Canada: Canada is a North American country consisting of 10 provinces and 3 territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's 2nd largest country by total area, and its common border with the United States is the world's longest land border shared by two countries.

The country is the 5th country in our list which produces 3.77 million barrels oil per day as of 2012.