Real size
How big is Sri Lanka really?
66,000 km²
25,500 sq mi · 47th smallest of the 167 here · about the size of Lithuania
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Sri Lanka covers 66,000 km² (25,500 sq mi), about the size of Lithuania. 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
- 66,000 km²
- Size rank
- 121st of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 8°N
Countries about the same size
- LithuaniaAbout the same size
- LatviaAbout the same size
- IrelandAbout the same size
- GeorgiaAbout the same size
- United Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates is 1.1 times the size of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka?
- Sri Lanka covers about 66,000 km² (25,500 sq mi). It is the 47th smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Sri Lanka at the right size?
- Yes. Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka bigger than Lithuania?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Sri Lanka bigger than Ireland?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.