Real size
How big is Somalia really?
474,000 km²
183,000 sq mi · 52nd largest of the 167 here · about the size of Turkmenistan
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Somalia covers 474,000 km² (183,000 sq mi), about the size of Turkmenistan. 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.
Part of the land Somalia holds or claims is disputed (1 dispute). Our area follows the borders drawn on today's map. See the disputed territories →
- Real area
- 474,000 km²
- Size rank
- 52nd of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 5°N
Countries about the same size
- TurkmenistanAbout the same size
- CameroonAbout the same size
- Papua New GuineaAbout the same size
- YemenAbout the same size
- UzbekistanSomalia is 1.1 times the size of Uzbekistan
Somalia 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 Somalia?
- Somalia covers about 474,000 km² (183,000 sq mi). It is the 52nd largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Somalia at the right size?
- Yes. Somalia 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 Somalia bigger than Sweden?
- Yes. Somalia is about 1.1 times the size of Sweden.
- Is Somalia bigger than Turkmenistan?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Somalia bigger than Spain?
- No. Spain is about 1.1 times the size of Somalia.