Real size
How big is Djibouti really?
21,700 km²
8,380 sq mi · 19th smallest of the 167 here · about the size of Israel
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Djibouti covers 21,700 km² (8,380 sq mi), about the size of Israel. 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
- 21,700 km²
- Size rank
- 149th of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 12°N
Countries about the same size
- IsraelAbout the same size
- BelizeAbout the same size
- El SalvadorDjibouti is 1.1 times the size of El Salvador
- SloveniaDjibouti is 1.1 times the size of Slovenia
- New CaledoniaDjibouti is 1.2 times the size of New Caledonia
Djibouti 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 Djibouti?
- Djibouti covers about 21,700 km² (8,380 sq mi). It is the 19th smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Djibouti at the right size?
- Yes. Djibouti 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 Djibouti bigger than Slovenia?
- Yes. Djibouti is about 1.1 times the size of Slovenia.
- Is Djibouti bigger than Israel?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.