Real size
How big is North Korea really?
122,000 km²
47,300 sq mi · 69th smallest of the 167 here · about the size of Eritrea
Normal web maps draw it 1.7× too big
North Korea covers 122,000 km² (47,300 sq mi), about the size of Eritrea. A normal web map draws it about 1.7 times too big, because it lies far from the equator (around 40°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.
- Real area
- 122,000 km²
- Size rank
- 99th of 167
- On a normal web map
- 1.7× too big
- Latitude
- 40°N
Countries about the same size
- EritreaAbout the same size
- MalawiAbout the same size
- BeninNorth Korea is 1.1 times the size of Benin
- NicaraguaNicaragua is 1.1 times the size of North Korea
- GreeceGreece is 1.1 times the size of North Korea
North Korea 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 North Korea?
- North Korea covers about 122,000 km² (47,300 sq mi). It is the 69th smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does North Korea 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 North Korea about 1.7 times too big.
- Is North Korea bigger than Eritrea?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.