Real size
How big is Nigeria really?
911,000 km²
352,000 sq mi · 33rd largest of the 167 here · about the size of Venezuela
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Nigeria covers 911,000 km² (352,000 sq mi), about the size of Venezuela. 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
- 911,000 km²
- Size rank
- 33rd of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 10°N
Countries about the same size
- VenezuelaAbout the same size
- TanzaniaAbout the same size
- PakistanAbout the same size
- EgyptEgypt is 1.1 times the size of Nigeria
- NamibiaNigeria is 1.1 times the size of Namibia
Nigeria 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 Nigeria?
- Nigeria covers about 911,000 km² (352,000 sq mi). It is the 33rd largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Nigeria at the right size?
- Yes. Nigeria lies so close to the equator that a normal web map barely stretches it, while countries far to the north or south are drawn several times too big.
- Is Nigeria bigger than Venezuela?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.