Real size
How big is Zimbabwe really?
390,000 km²
151,000 sq mi · 61st largest of the 167 here · about the size of Norway
Normal web maps show it about the right size
Zimbabwe covers 390,000 km² (151,000 sq mi), about the size of Norway. 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
- 390,000 km²
- Size rank
- 61st of 167
- On a normal web map
- About right
- Latitude
- 19°S
Countries about the same size
- NorwayAbout the same size
- ParaguayAbout the same size
- JapanZimbabwe is 1.1 times the size of Japan
- GermanyZimbabwe is 1.1 times the size of Germany
- IraqIraq is 1.1 times the size of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe?
- Zimbabwe covers about 390,000 km² (151,000 sq mi). It is the 61st largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Do maps show Zimbabwe at the right size?
- Mostly. Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe bigger than Norway?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.
- Is Zimbabwe bigger than Paraguay?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.