Real size
How big is Sierra Leone really?
71,900 km²
27,800 sq mi · 51st smallest of the 167 here · about the size of the United Arab Emirates
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Sierra Leone covers 71,900 km² (27,800 sq mi), about the size of the United Arab Emirates. 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
- 71,900 km²
- Size rank
- 117th of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 9°N
Countries about the same size
- United Arab EmiratesAbout the same size
- PanamaAbout the same size
- GeorgiaAbout the same size
- IrelandAbout the same size
- SerbiaSerbia is 1.1 times the size of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone 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 Sierra Leone?
- Sierra Leone covers about 71,900 km² (27,800 sq mi). It is the 51st smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Sierra Leone at the right size?
- Yes. Sierra Leone 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 Sierra Leone bigger than Ireland?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Sierra Leone bigger than the United Arab Emirates?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Sierra Leone bigger than Panama?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.