Real size
How big is Mali really?
1.26 million km²
486,000 sq mi · 22nd largest of the 167 here · about the size of Angola
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Mali covers 1.26 million km² (486,000 sq mi), about the size of Angola. 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
- 1.26 million km²
- Size rank
- 22nd of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 17°N
Countries about the same size
- AngolaAbout the same size
- ChadAbout the same size
- South AfricaAbout the same size
- PeruAbout the same size
- NigerMali is 1.1 times the size of Niger
Mali 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 Mali?
- Mali covers about 1.26 million km² (486,000 sq mi). It is the 22nd largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Mali at the right size?
- Mostly. Mali 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 Mali bigger than Mongolia?
- No. Mongolia is about 1.2 times the size of Mali.
- Is Mali bigger than Angola?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Mali bigger than Chad?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.