Real size
How big is Bosnia and Herzegovina really?
51,700 km²
20,000 sq mi · 42nd smallest of the 167 here · about the size of Costa Rica
Normal web maps draw it 1.9× too big
Bosnia and Herzegovina covers 51,700 km² (20,000 sq mi), about the size of Costa Rica. A normal web map draws it about 1.9 times too big, because it lies far from the equator (around 44°N), and those maps stretch land more the closer it gets to the North Pole.
Measured from our map outlines, so official figures can differ by a few percent. Ranks count the 167 countries and territories on these pages: those over 5,000 km², not counting disputed territories.
- Real area
- 51,700 km²
- Size rank
- 126th of 167
- On a normal web map
- 1.9× too big
- Latitude
- 44°N
Countries about the same size
- Costa RicaAbout the same size
- CroatiaCroatia is 1.1 times the size of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Dominican RepublicBosnia and Herzegovina is 1.1 times the size of the Dominican Republic
- SlovakiaBosnia and Herzegovina is 1.1 times the size of Slovakia
- TogoTogo is 1.1 times the size of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina through history
Borders here have moved many times. Step through our maps, from 2000 BCE to today, to see who ruled this land before, and how big their realms really were.
Open the history map →Browse the eras →
Common questions
- How big is Bosnia and Herzegovina?
- Bosnia and Herzegovina covers about 51,700 km² (20,000 sq mi). It is the 42nd smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does Bosnia and Herzegovina look so big on maps?
- Most web maps use the Mercator projection, which keeps shapes right but stretches area more and more toward the poles. Averaged over the whole country, it draws Bosnia and Herzegovina about 1.9 times too big.
- Is Bosnia and Herzegovina bigger than Costa Rica?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Bosnia and Herzegovina bigger than Croatia?
- No. Croatia is about 1.1 times the size of Bosnia and Herzegovina.