Real size
How big is Panama really?
74,200 km²
28,700 sq mi · 52nd smallest of the 167 here · about the size of Sierra Leone
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Panama covers 74,200 km² (28,700 sq mi), about the size of Sierra Leone. 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
- 74,200 km²
- Size rank
- 116th of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 9°N
Countries about the same size
- Sierra LeoneAbout the same size
- United Arab EmiratesAbout the same size
- SerbiaAbout the same size
- CzechiaCzechia is 1.1 times the size of Panama
- GeorgiaPanama is 1.1 times the size of Georgia
Panama 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 Panama?
- Panama covers about 74,200 km² (28,700 sq mi). It is the 52nd smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Panama at the right size?
- Yes. Panama 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 Panama bigger than Czechia?
- No. Czechia is about 1.1 times the size of Panama.
- Is Panama bigger than Sierra Leone?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Panama bigger than Serbia?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.