Real size
How big is Congo really?
347,000 km²
134,000 sq mi · 65th largest of the 167 here · about the size of Germany
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Congo covers 347,000 km² (134,000 sq mi), about the size of Germany. 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
- 347,000 km²
- Size rank
- 65th of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 1°S
Countries about the same size
- GermanyAbout the same size
- FinlandAbout the same size
- VietnamCongo is 1.1 times the size of Vietnam
- MalaysiaCongo is 1.1 times the size of Malaysia
- JapanJapan is 1.1 times the size of Congo
Congo 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 Congo?
- Congo covers about 347,000 km² (134,000 sq mi). It is the 65th largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Congo at the right size?
- Yes. Congo 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 Congo bigger than Germany?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.