Real size
How big is Greenland really?
2.15 million km²
832,000 sq mi · 12th largest of the 167 here · about the size of Algeria
Normal web maps draw it 16× too big
Greenland covers 2.15 million km² (832,000 sq mi), about the size of Algeria. A normal web map draws it about 16 times too big, because it lies far from the equator (around 73°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
- 2.15 million km²
- Size rank
- 12th of 167
- On a normal web map
- 16× too big
- Latitude
- 73°N
Countries about the same size
- AlgeriaAlgeria is 1.1 times the size of Greenland
- DR CongoDR Congo is 1.1 times the size of Greenland
- MexicoGreenland is 1.1 times the size of Mexico
- Saudi ArabiaGreenland is 1.1 times the size of Saudi Arabia
- IndonesiaGreenland is 1.2 times the size of Indonesia
Greenland 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 Greenland?
- Greenland covers about 2.15 million km² (832,000 sq mi). It is the 12th largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does Greenland 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 Greenland about 16 times too big.
- Is Greenland bigger than Algeria?
- No. Algeria is about 1.1 times the size of Greenland.