Real size
How big is Malaysia really?
328,000 km²
126,000 sq mi · 68th largest of the 167 here · about the size of Vietnam
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Malaysia covers 328,000 km² (126,000 sq mi), about the size of Vietnam. 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.
Part of the land Malaysia holds or claims is disputed (1 dispute). Our area follows the borders drawn on today's map. See the disputed territories →
- Real area
- 328,000 km²
- Size rank
- 68th of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 4°N
Countries about the same size
- VietnamAbout the same size
- FinlandAbout the same size
- Côte d'IvoireAbout the same size
- PolandAbout the same size
- OmanAbout the same size
Malaysia 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 Malaysia?
- Malaysia covers about 328,000 km² (126,000 sq mi). It is the 68th largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Malaysia at the right size?
- Yes. Malaysia 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 Malaysia bigger than Finland?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Malaysia bigger than Vietnam?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.