Real size
How big is Vietnam really?
329,000 km²
127,000 sq mi · 67th largest of the 167 here · about the size of Malaysia
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Vietnam covers 329,000 km² (127,000 sq mi), about the size of Malaysia. 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.
Part of the land Vietnam holds or claims is disputed (1 dispute). Our area follows the borders drawn on today's map. See the disputed territories →
- Real area
- 329,000 km²
- Size rank
- 67th of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 17°N
Countries about the same size
- MalaysiaAbout the same size
- FinlandAbout the same size
- Côte d'IvoireAbout the same size
- PolandVietnam is 1.1 times the size of Poland
- OmanVietnam is 1.1 times the size of Oman
Vietnam 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 Vietnam?
- Vietnam covers about 329,000 km² (127,000 sq mi). It is the 67th largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Vietnam at the right size?
- Mostly. Vietnam lies close enough to the equator that a normal web map draws it only about 1.1 times too big, while countries far to the north or south are drawn several times too big.
- Is Vietnam bigger than Finland?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Vietnam bigger than Malaysia?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.