Real size
How big is Nicaragua really?
129,000 km²
49,900 sq mi · 71st smallest of the 167 here · about the size of Greece
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Nicaragua covers 129,000 km² (49,900 sq mi), about the size of Greece. 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
- 129,000 km²
- Size rank
- 97th of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 13°N
Countries about the same size
- GreeceAbout the same size
- EritreaAbout the same size
- BangladeshAbout the same size
- North KoreaNicaragua is 1.1 times the size of North Korea
- MalawiNicaragua is 1.1 times the size of Malawi
Nicaragua 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 Nicaragua?
- Nicaragua covers about 129,000 km² (49,900 sq mi). It is the 71st smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Nicaragua at the right size?
- Mostly. Nicaragua 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 Nicaragua bigger than Iceland?
- Yes. Nicaragua is about 1.3 times the size of Iceland.
- Is Nicaragua bigger than Greece?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.