Ecuador at its true size

Ecuador covers 257,204 km², number 79 of 235 by area. Home to 18,289,896 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.

Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
Area257,204 km² Wikidata
Population18,289,896 World Bank, 2025
Density71 per km²
CapitalQuito
RegionSouth America, South America
StatusIndependent state
CoastHas a coastline
CodesEC · ECU · 218

Countries of a similar size

How many times does Ecuador fit into…

Neighbours

Questions about Ecuador

How big is Ecuador?
Ecuador covers 257,204 km², which makes it number 79 of 235 countries and territories by area. About 18,289,896 people live there (2025), 71 per km².
Is Ecuador bigger than Western Sahara?
Ecuador is 3% smaller than Western Sahara. Ecuador: 257,204 km²; Western Sahara: 266,000 km².
How much does the Mercator map distort Ecuador?
Ecuador lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
Which countries border Ecuador?
Ecuador shares a land border with Peru, Colombia.