Real size
How big is Malawi really?
120,000 km²
46,200 sq mi · 68th smallest of the 167 here · about the size of North Korea
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Malawi covers 120,000 km² (46,200 sq mi), about the size of North Korea. 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
- 120,000 km²
- Size rank
- 100th of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 13°S
Countries about the same size
- North KoreaAbout the same size
- BeninAbout the same size
- EritreaAbout the same size
- HondurasMalawi is 1.1 times the size of Honduras
- BulgariaMalawi is 1.1 times the size of Bulgaria
Malawi 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 Malawi?
- Malawi covers about 120,000 km² (46,200 sq mi). It is the 68th smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Malawi at the right size?
- Mostly. Malawi lies close enough to the equator that a normal web map draws it only about 1.1 times too big, while countries far to the north or south are drawn several times too big.
- Is Malawi bigger than Iceland?
- Yes. Malawi is about 1.2 times the size of Iceland.
- Is Malawi bigger than North Korea?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.