Real size
How big is Moldova really?
33,100 km²
12,800 sq mi · 33rd smallest of the 167 here · about the size of Guinea-Bissau
Normal web maps draw it 2.2× too big
Moldova covers 33,100 km² (12,800 sq mi), about the size of Guinea-Bissau. A normal web map draws it about 2.2 times too big, because it lies far from the equator (around 47°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.
Part of the land Moldova holds or claims is disputed (1 dispute). Our area follows the borders drawn on today's map. See the disputed territories →
- Real area
- 33,100 km²
- Size rank
- 135th of 167
- On a normal web map
- 2.2× too big
- Latitude
- 47°N
Countries about the same size
- Guinea-BissauAbout the same size
- BelgiumMoldova is 1.1 times the size of Belgium
- LesothoMoldova is 1.1 times the size of Lesotho
- ArmeniaMoldova is 1.1 times the size of Armenia
- NetherlandsThe Netherlands is 1.1 times the size of Moldova
Moldova 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 Moldova?
- Moldova covers about 33,100 km² (12,800 sq mi). It is the 33rd smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does Moldova 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 Moldova about 2.2 times too big.
- Is Moldova bigger than Guinea-Bissau?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Moldova bigger than the Netherlands?
- No. The Netherlands is about 1.1 times the size of Moldova.