Real size
How big is Spain really?
506,000 km²
195,000 sq mi · 51st largest of the 167 here · about the size of Thailand
Normal web maps draw it 1.7× too big
Spain covers 506,000 km² (195,000 sq mi), about the size of Thailand. A normal web map draws it about 1.7 times too big, because it lies far from the equator (around 40°N), and those maps stretch land more the closer it gets to the North Pole.
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 Spain holds or claims is disputed (2 disputes). Our area follows the borders drawn on today's map. See the disputed territories →
- Real area
- 506,000 km²
- Size rank
- 51st of 167
- On a normal web map
- 1.7× too big
- Latitude
- 40°N
Countries about the same size
- ThailandAbout the same size
- SomaliaSpain is 1.1 times the size of Somalia
- TurkmenistanSpain is 1.1 times the size of Turkmenistan
- CameroonSpain is 1.1 times the size of Cameroon
- Papua New GuineaSpain is 1.1 times the size of Papua New Guinea
Spain 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 Spain?
- Spain covers about 506,000 km² (195,000 sq mi). It is the 51st largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does Spain look so big on maps?
- Most web maps use the Mercator projection, which keeps shapes right but stretches area more and more toward the poles. Averaged over the whole country, it draws Spain about 1.7 times too big.
- Is Spain bigger than Thailand?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.