Real size
How big is Indonesia really?
1.87 million km²
723,000 sq mi · 15th largest of the 167 here · about the size of Sudan
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Indonesia covers 1.87 million km² (723,000 sq mi), about the size of Sudan. It sits close to the equator, where normal web maps barely stretch land, so they show it at about its real size, and make countries farther from the equator look bigger than it.
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
- 1.87 million km²
- Size rank
- 15th of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 2°S
Countries about the same size
- SudanAbout the same size
- Saudi ArabiaAbout the same size
- MexicoAbout the same size
- GreenlandGreenland is 1.2 times the size of Indonesia
- LibyaIndonesia is 1.2 times the size of Libya
Indonesia 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 Indonesia?
- Indonesia covers about 1.87 million km² (723,000 sq mi). It is the 15th largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Indonesia at the right size?
- Yes. Indonesia lies so close to the equator that a normal web map barely stretches it, while countries far to the north or south are drawn several times too big.
- Is Indonesia bigger than Greenland?
- No. Greenland is about 1.2 times the size of Indonesia.
- Is Indonesia bigger than Sudan?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Indonesia bigger than Saudi Arabia?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.