Real size
How big is Papua New Guinea really?
464,000 km²
179,000 sq mi · 55th largest of the 167 here · about the size of Cameroon
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Papua New Guinea covers 464,000 km² (179,000 sq mi), about the size of Cameroon. 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
- 464,000 km²
- Size rank
- 55th of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 6°S
Countries about the same size
- CameroonAbout the same size
- TurkmenistanAbout the same size
- SomaliaAbout the same size
- YemenAbout the same size
- UzbekistanAbout the same size
Papua New Guinea 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 Papua New Guinea?
- Papua New Guinea covers about 464,000 km² (179,000 sq mi). It is the 55th largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Papua New Guinea at the right size?
- Yes. Papua New Guinea 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 Papua New Guinea bigger than Sweden?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Papua New Guinea bigger than Cameroon?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.