Real size
How big is Turkmenistan really?
471,000 km²
182,000 sq mi · 53rd largest of the 167 here · about the size of Somalia
Normal web maps draw it 1.7× too big
Turkmenistan covers 471,000 km² (182,000 sq mi), about the size of Somalia. A normal web map draws it about 1.7 times too big, because it lies far from the equator (around 39°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.
- Real area
- 471,000 km²
- Size rank
- 53rd of 167
- On a normal web map
- 1.7× too big
- Latitude
- 39°N
Countries about the same size
- SomaliaAbout the same size
- CameroonAbout the same size
- Papua New GuineaAbout the same size
- YemenAbout the same size
- UzbekistanTurkmenistan is 1.1 times the size of Uzbekistan
Turkmenistan 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 Turkmenistan?
- Turkmenistan covers about 471,000 km² (182,000 sq mi). It is the 53rd largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does Turkmenistan 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 Turkmenistan about 1.7 times too big.
- Is Turkmenistan bigger than Somalia?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.