Real size
How big is Niger really?
1.19 million km²
458,000 sq mi · 25th largest of the 167 here · about the size of South Africa
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Niger covers 1.19 million km² (458,000 sq mi), about the size of South Africa. 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
- 1.19 million km²
- Size rank
- 25th of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 17°N
Countries about the same size
- South AfricaAbout the same size
- ColombiaAbout the same size
- EthiopiaAbout the same size
- AngolaAngola is 1.1 times the size of Niger
- MaliMali is 1.1 times the size of Niger
Niger 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 Niger?
- Niger covers about 1.19 million km² (458,000 sq mi). It is the 25th largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Niger at the right size?
- Mostly. Niger 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 Niger bigger than Mongolia?
- No. Mongolia is about 1.3 times the size of Niger.
- Is Niger bigger than South Africa?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.