Real size
How big is Israel really?
22,300 km²
8,600 sq mi · 20th smallest of the 167 here · about the size of Belize
Normal web maps draw it 1.4× too big
Israel covers 22,300 km² (8,600 sq mi), about the size of Belize. A normal web map draws it about 1.4 times too big: not much, but enough to make it look bigger than countries nearer the equator.
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.
Part of the land Israel holds or claims is disputed (2 disputes). Our area follows the borders drawn on today's map. See the disputed territories →
- Real area
- 22,300 km²
- Size rank
- 148th of 167
- On a normal web map
- 1.4× too big
- Latitude
- 32°N
Countries about the same size
- BelizeAbout the same size
- DjiboutiAbout the same size
- El SalvadorIsrael is 1.1 times the size of El Salvador
- SloveniaIsrael is 1.1 times the size of Slovenia
- North MacedoniaNorth Macedonia is 1.1 times the size of Israel
Israel 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 Israel?
- Israel covers about 22,300 km² (8,600 sq mi). It is the 20th smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does Israel 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 Israel about 1.4 times too big.
- Is Israel bigger than Slovenia?
- Yes. Israel is about 1.1 times the size of Slovenia.
- Is Israel bigger than Belize?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.