Real size
How big is Nepal really?
147,000 km²
56,800 sq mi · 76th smallest of the 167 here · about the size of Suriname
Normal web maps draw it 1.3× too big
Nepal covers 147,000 km² (56,800 sq mi), about the size of Suriname. A normal web map draws it about 1.3 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.
NepalSuriname
NepalSuriname
- Real area
- 147,000 km²
- Size rank
- 92nd of 167
- On a normal web map
- 1.3× too big
- Latitude
- 28°N
Countries about the same size
- SurinameAbout the same size
- TajikistanAbout the same size
- TunisiaTunisia is 1.1 times the size of Nepal
- BangladeshNepal is 1.1 times the size of Bangladesh
- GreeceNepal is 1.1 times the size of Greece
Nepal 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 Nepal?
- Nepal covers about 147,000 km² (56,800 sq mi). It is the 76th smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does Nepal 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 Nepal about 1.3 times too big.
- Is Nepal bigger than Suriname?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Nepal bigger than Tunisia?
- No. Tunisia is about 1.1 times the size of Nepal.