Real size
How big is Rwanda really?
25,400 km²
9,800 sq mi · 23rd smallest of the 167 here · about the size of North Macedonia
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Rwanda covers 25,400 km² (9,800 sq mi), about the size of North Macedonia. 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
- 25,400 km²
- Size rank
- 145th of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 2°S
Countries about the same size
- North MacedoniaAbout the same size
- Solomon IslandsAbout the same size
- Equatorial GuineaAbout the same size
- HaitiHaiti is 1.1 times the size of Rwanda
- BurundiBurundi is 1.1 times the size of Rwanda
Rwanda 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 Rwanda?
- Rwanda covers about 25,400 km² (9,800 sq mi). It is the 23rd smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Rwanda at the right size?
- Yes. Rwanda 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 Rwanda bigger than Belgium?
- No. Belgium is about 1.2 times the size of Rwanda.
- Is Rwanda bigger than North Macedonia?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Rwanda bigger than the Solomon Islands?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.