Real size
How big is Burkina Faso really?
274,000 km²
106,000 sq mi · 74th largest of the 167 here · about the size of New Zealand
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Burkina Faso covers 274,000 km² (106,000 sq mi), about the size of New Zealand. It sits close to the equator, where normal web maps barely stretch land, so they show it at about its real size, and make countries farther from the equator look bigger than it.
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
- 274,000 km²
- Size rank
- 74th of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 12°N
Countries about the same size
- New ZealandAbout the same size
- GabonAbout the same size
- PhilippinesThe Philippines is 1.1 times the size of Burkina Faso
- EcuadorBurkina Faso is 1.1 times the size of Ecuador
- ItalyItaly is 1.1 times the size of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso 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 Burkina Faso?
- Burkina Faso covers about 274,000 km² (106,000 sq mi). It is the 74th largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Burkina Faso at the right size?
- Yes. Burkina Faso lies so close to the equator that a normal web map barely stretches it, while countries far to the north or south are drawn several times too big.
- Is Burkina Faso bigger than Poland?
- No. Poland is about 1.1 times the size of Burkina Faso.
- Is Burkina Faso bigger than New Zealand?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Burkina Faso bigger than the Philippines?
- No. The Philippines is about 1.1 times the size of Burkina Faso.