Real size
How big is Tanzania really?
946,000 km²
365,000 sq mi · 31st largest of the 167 here · about the size of Venezuela
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Tanzania covers 946,000 km² (365,000 sq mi), about the size of Venezuela. 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
- 946,000 km²
- Size rank
- 31st of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 6°S
Countries about the same size
- VenezuelaAbout the same size
- NigeriaAbout the same size
- EgyptEgypt is 1.1 times the size of Tanzania
- PakistanTanzania is 1.1 times the size of Pakistan
- MauritaniaMauritania is 1.1 times the size of Tanzania
Tanzania 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 Tanzania?
- Tanzania covers about 946,000 km² (365,000 sq mi). It is the 31st largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Tanzania at the right size?
- Yes. Tanzania 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 Tanzania bigger than Venezuela?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Tanzania bigger than Egypt?
- No. Egypt is about 1.1 times the size of Tanzania.