Real size
How big is Syria really?
186,000 km²
71,700 sq mi · 80th smallest of the 167 here · about the size of Cambodia
Normal web maps draw it 1.5× too big
Syria covers 186,000 km² (71,700 sq mi), about the size of Cambodia. A normal web map draws it about 1.5 times too big: not much, but enough to make it look bigger than countries nearer the equator.
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 Syria holds or claims is disputed (1 dispute). Our area follows the borders drawn on today's map. See the disputed territories →
- Real area
- 186,000 km²
- Size rank
- 88th of 167
- On a normal web map
- 1.5× too big
- Latitude
- 35°N
Countries about the same size
- CambodiaAbout the same size
- UruguayAbout the same size
- SenegalSenegal is 1.1 times the size of Syria
- KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan is 1.1 times the size of Syria
- BelarusBelarus is 1.1 times the size of Syria
Syria 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 Syria?
- Syria covers about 186,000 km² (71,700 sq mi). It is the 80th smallest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does Syria 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 Syria about 1.5 times too big.
- Is Syria bigger than Belarus?
- No. Belarus is about 1.1 times the size of Syria.
- Is Syria bigger than Cambodia?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Syria bigger than Senegal?
- No. Senegal is about 1.1 times the size of Syria.