Real size
How big is Cameroon really?
466,000 km²
180,000 sq mi · 54th largest of the 167 here · about the size of Papua New Guinea
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Cameroon covers 466,000 km² (180,000 sq mi), about the size of Papua New Guinea. 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
- 466,000 km²
- Size rank
- 54th of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 6°N
Countries about the same size
- Papua New GuineaAbout the same size
- TurkmenistanAbout the same size
- SomaliaAbout the same size
- YemenAbout the same size
- UzbekistanAbout the same size
Cameroon 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 Cameroon?
- Cameroon covers about 466,000 km² (180,000 sq mi). It is the 54th largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Cameroon at the right size?
- Yes. Cameroon 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 Cameroon bigger than Sweden?
- Yes. Cameroon is about 1.1 times the size of Sweden.
- Is Cameroon bigger than Papua New Guinea?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Cameroon bigger than Turkmenistan?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.