Real size
How big is Greece really?
130,000 km²
50,300 sq mi · 72nd smallest of the 167 here · about the size of Nicaragua
Normal web maps draw it 1.7× too big
Greece covers 130,000 km² (50,300 sq mi), about the size of Nicaragua. A normal web map draws it about 1.7 times too big, because it lies far from the equator (around 39°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
- 130,000 km²
- Size rank
- 96th of 167
- On a normal web map
- 1.7× too big
- Latitude
- 39°N
Countries about the same size
- NicaraguaAbout the same size
- BangladeshAbout the same size
- EritreaGreece is 1.1 times the size of Eritrea
- North KoreaGreece is 1.1 times the size of North Korea
- MalawiGreece is 1.1 times the size of Malawi
Greece 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 Greece?
- Greece covers about 130,000 km² (50,300 sq mi). It is the 72nd smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does Greece 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 Greece about 1.7 times too big.
- Is Greece bigger than Nicaragua?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Greece bigger than Bangladesh?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.