Sierra Leone at its true size
Sierra Leone covers 71,740 km², number 120 of 235 by area. Home to 8,819,794 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 71,740 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 8,819,794 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 123 per km² |
| Capital | Freetown |
| Region | Western Africa, Africa |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Codes | SL · SLE · 694 |
Countries of a similar size
- Ireland1.03×Sierra Leone and Ireland are almost exactly the same size.
- Georgia1.03×Sierra Leone and Georgia are almost exactly the same size.
- Panama0.97×Sierra Leone is 3% smaller than Panama.
- Sri Lanka1.09×Sierra Leone is 9% larger than Sri Lanka.
- Lithuania1.1×Sierra Leone is 10% larger than Lithuania.
- Czechia0.91×Sierra Leone is 9% smaller than Czechia.
How many times does Sierra Leone fit into…
- Russia: about 238 times
- Canada: about 139 times
- United States: about 137 times
Neighbours
Questions about Sierra Leone
- How big is Sierra Leone?
- Sierra Leone covers 71,740 km², which makes it number 120 of 235 countries and territories by area. About 8,819,794 people live there (2025), 123 per km².
- Is Sierra Leone bigger than Ireland?
- Sierra Leone and Ireland are almost exactly the same size. Sierra Leone: 71,740 km²; Ireland: 69,797 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Sierra Leone?
- Sierra Leone 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 Sierra Leone?
- Sierra Leone shares a land border with Guinea, Liberia.