Humans have always loved building big things to show off. From pyramids to skyscrapers, we're constantly trying to one-up each other in the "mine's bigger than yours" department. But when it comes to statues, one country recently took this competition to truly gigantic proportions. So which nation now holds the crown for the world's tallest statue?

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The answer is: India

Completed in 2018, the Statue of Unity stands at a neck-craning 597 feet (182 meters) tall. That's nearly twice the height of the Statue of Liberty, who must be feeling rather short these days. This colossal tribute depicts Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's first Deputy Prime Minister and a key figure in unifying the country after independence.

Construction was a feat that would make any engineering nerd swoon. The statue's design required 210,000 cubic meters of cement, 18,500 tonnes of reinforced steel, 6,500 tonnes of structural steel, and 1,700 tonnes of bronze. That might seem like overkill until you consider that it needs to withstand everything from earthquakes to strong winds without taking an unfortunate tumble. The face alone took 12 separate casts to perfect – imagine having your selfie blown up that large.

For perspective, if you stood this metal mountain next to other famous statues, it would make them look like action figures. The Spring Temple Buddha in China (420 feet) now plays second fiddle. The Statue of Liberty (305 feet) barely reaches Patel's waist. And Rio's Christ the Redeemer (125 feet), while spiritually impressive, would need to stand on the shoulders of three clones just to high-five the Statue of Unity.

Building something this massive wasn't cheap – the project cost almost $430 million. Critics questioned spending that much on a statue, but supporters argue it's already boosting tourism in Gujarat state. And let's be honest, if you're going to build the world's tallest anything, you might as well go big enough to make sure nobody tops it anytime soon.

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Which country has the world's tallest statue?