Real size
How big is DR Congo really?
2.33 million km²
901,000 sq mi · 10th largest of the 167 here · about the size of Algeria
Normal web maps show it about the right size
DR Congo covers 2.33 million km² (901,000 sq mi), about the size of Algeria. 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
- 2.33 million km²
- Size rank
- 10th of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 3°S
Countries about the same size
- AlgeriaAbout the same size
- GreenlandDR Congo is 1.1 times the size of Greenland
- KazakhstanKazakhstan is 1.2 times the size of DR Congo
- MexicoDR Congo is 1.2 times the size of Mexico
- ArgentinaArgentina is 1.2 times the size of DR Congo
DR 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 DR Congo?
- DR Congo covers about 2.33 million km² (901,000 sq mi). It is the 10th largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show DR Congo at the right size?
- Yes. DR 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 DR Congo bigger than Greenland?
- Yes. DR Congo is about 1.1 times the size of Greenland.
- Is DR Congo bigger than Algeria?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is DR Congo bigger than Kazakhstan?
- No. Kazakhstan is about 1.2 times the size of DR Congo.