Real size
How big is Ireland really?
68,700 km²
26,500 sq mi · 48th smallest of the 167 here · about the size of Georgia
Normal web maps draw it 2.8× too big
Ireland covers 68,700 km² (26,500 sq mi), about the size of Georgia. A normal web map draws it about 2.8 times too big, because it lies far from the equator (around 53°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
- 68,700 km²
- Size rank
- 120th of 167
- On a normal web map
- 2.8× too big
- Latitude
- 53°N
Countries about the same size
- GeorgiaAbout the same size
- United Arab EmiratesAbout the same size
- Sri LankaAbout the same size
- Sierra LeoneAbout the same size
- LithuaniaIreland is 1.1 times the size of Lithuania
Ireland 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 Ireland?
- Ireland covers about 68,700 km² (26,500 sq mi). It is the 48th smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does Ireland 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 Ireland about 2.8 times too big.
- Is Ireland bigger than the United Arab Emirates?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Ireland bigger than Georgia?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.