Real size
How big is Germany really?
356,000 km²
138,000 sq mi · 64th largest of the 167 here · about the size of Congo
Normal web maps draw it 2.5× too big
Germany covers 356,000 km² (138,000 sq mi), about the size of Congo. A normal web map draws it about 2.5 times too big, because it lies far from the equator (around 51°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
- 356,000 km²
- Size rank
- 64th of 167
- On a normal web map
- 2.5× too big
- Latitude
- 51°N
Countries about the same size
- CongoAbout the same size
- JapanAbout the same size
- FinlandGermany is 1.1 times the size of Finland
- NorwayNorway is 1.1 times the size of Germany
- VietnamGermany is 1.1 times the size of Vietnam
Germany 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 Germany?
- Germany covers about 356,000 km² (138,000 sq mi). It is the 64th largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does Germany 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 Germany about 2.5 times too big.
- Is Germany bigger than Congo?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Germany bigger than Japan?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.