Real size
How big is Iceland really?
101,000 km²
39,100 sq mi · 62nd smallest of the 167 here · about the size of South Korea
Normal web maps draw it 5.6× too big
Iceland covers 101,000 km² (39,100 sq mi), about the size of South Korea. A normal web map draws it about 5.6 times too big, because it lies far from the equator (around 65°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
- 101,000 km²
- Size rank
- 106th of 167
- On a normal web map
- 5.6× too big
- Latitude
- 65°N
Countries about the same size
- South KoreaAbout the same size
- LiberiaIceland is 1.1 times the size of Liberia
- GuatemalaGuatemala is 1.1 times the size of Iceland
- CubaCuba is 1.1 times the size of Iceland
- HungaryIceland is 1.1 times the size of Hungary
Iceland 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 Iceland?
- Iceland covers about 101,000 km² (39,100 sq mi). It is the 62nd smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does Iceland 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 Iceland about 5.6 times too big.
- Is Iceland bigger than Liberia?
- Yes. Iceland is about 1.1 times the size of Liberia.
- Is Iceland bigger than South Korea?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Iceland bigger than Guatemala?
- No. Guatemala is about 1.1 times the size of Iceland.