Somalia at its true size
Somalia covers 637,657 km², number 45 of 235 by area. Home to 19,654,739 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 637,657 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 19,654,739 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 31 per km² |
| Capital | Mogadishu |
| Region | Eastern Africa, Africa |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Codes | SO · SOM · 706 |
Countries of a similar size
- France0.99×Somalia and France are almost exactly the same size.
- South Sudan0.99×Somalia and South Sudan are almost exactly the same size.
- Afghanistan0.98×Somalia and Afghanistan are almost exactly the same size.
- Central African Republic1.02×Somalia and Central African Republic are almost exactly the same size.
- Ukraine1.06×Somalia is 6% larger than Ukraine.
- Myanmar0.94×Somalia is 6% smaller than Myanmar.
How many times does Somalia fit into…
- Russia: about 27 times
- Canada: about 16 times
- United States: about 15 times
Neighbours
Questions about Somalia
- How big is Somalia?
- Somalia covers 637,657 km², which makes it number 45 of 235 countries and territories by area. About 19,654,739 people live there (2025), 31 per km².
- Is Somalia bigger than France?
- Somalia and France are almost exactly the same size. Somalia: 637,657 km²; France: 643,801 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Somalia?
- Somalia 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 Somalia?
- Somalia shares a land border with Ethiopia, Kenya.