Real size
How big is Ethiopia really?
1.13 million km²
437,000 sq mi · 27th largest of the 167 here · about the size of Colombia
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Ethiopia covers 1.13 million km² (437,000 sq mi), about the size of Colombia. 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
- 1.13 million km²
- Size rank
- 27th of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 9°N
Countries about the same size
- ColombiaAbout the same size
- BoliviaAbout the same size
- NigerAbout the same size
- South AfricaSouth Africa is 1.1 times the size of Ethiopia
- MauritaniaEthiopia is 1.1 times the size of Mauritania
Ethiopia 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 Ethiopia?
- Ethiopia covers about 1.13 million km² (437,000 sq mi). It is the 27th largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Ethiopia at the right size?
- Yes. Ethiopia 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 Ethiopia bigger than Colombia?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.