Real size
How big is France really?
635,000 km²
245,000 sq mi · 42nd largest of the 167 here · about the size of Afghanistan
Normal web maps draw it 2× too big
France covers 635,000 km² (245,000 sq mi), about the size of Afghanistan. A normal web map draws it about 2 times too big, because it lies far from the equator (around 43°N), and those maps stretch land more the closer it gets to the North Pole.
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
- 635,000 km²
- Size rank
- 42nd of 167
- On a normal web map
- 2× too big
- Latitude
- 43°N
Countries about the same size
- AfghanistanAbout the same size
- South SudanAbout the same size
- Central African RepublicAbout the same size
- MyanmarAbout the same size
- KenyaFrance is 1.1 times the size of Kenya
France 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 France?
- France covers about 635,000 km² (245,000 sq mi). It is the 42nd largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does France look so big on maps?
- Most web maps use the Mercator projection, which keeps shapes right but stretches area more and more toward the poles. Averaged over the whole country, it draws France about 2 times too big.
- Is France bigger than South Sudan?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is France bigger than Afghanistan?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.