Netherlands at its true size
Netherlands covers 42,201 km², number 134 of 235 by area. Home to 18,087,633 people (2025). A Mercator map draws it about 2.67× too large.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 42,201 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 18,087,633 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 429 per km² |
| Capital | Amsterdam |
| Region | Western Europe, Europe |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Codes | NL · NLD · 528 |
Countries of a similar size
- Denmark0.98×Netherlands and Denmark are almost exactly the same size.
- Switzerland1.02×Netherlands and Switzerland are almost exactly the same size.
- Estonia0.93×Netherlands is 7% smaller than Estonia.
- Bhutan1.1×Netherlands is 10% larger than Bhutan.
- Dominican Republic0.87×Netherlands is 13% smaller than Dominican Republic.
- Slovakia0.86×Netherlands is 14% smaller than Slovakia.
How many times does Netherlands fit into…
- Russia: about 405 times
- Canada: about 237 times
- United States: about 233 times
Neighbours
Questions about Netherlands
- How big is Netherlands?
- Netherlands covers 42,201 km², which makes it number 134 of 235 countries and territories by area. About 18,087,633 people live there (2025), 429 per km².
- Is Netherlands bigger than Denmark?
- Netherlands and Denmark are almost exactly the same size. Netherlands: 42,201 km²; Denmark: 42,925 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Netherlands?
- At about 52° latitude, Mercator stretches Netherlands to roughly 2.67× its true area relative to a country on the equator. Kartavera draws it in the Equal Earth projection, where areas are exact.
- Which countries border Netherlands?
- Netherlands shares a land border with Germany, Belgium.