Botswana vs US size comparison
How Big Is Botswana Compared to the US?
The US is about 17 times the size of Botswana. Drag Botswana over the US below to see the difference at true size.
Hawaii and the territories are not drawn.
Printable Botswana vs US size comparison
Free to print or share: Botswana laid over the US at true size, with both areas, on one landscape A4 or US Letter page.
Key facts
- Area of Botswana
- 581,730 km² (224,607 sq mi)
- Area of the US
- 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi)
- Size difference
- The US is about 17 times bigger
- Closest US state in size
- Texas (695,668 km²)
- Population (2025)
- Botswana 2,562,122; the US 341,784,857
- Botswana's rank by area
- 48th-largest of 197
How big Botswana is compared with the US
The US is about 17 times the size of Botswana: 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi) against 581,730 km² (224,607 sq mi). Even the 48 contiguous states alone, without Alaska, could hold Botswana about 14 times. Botswana is bigger than 48 of the 50 US states and smaller than the other 2; the state closest in size is Texas (695,668 km²). It is the 48th-largest of the world's 197 countries, and the 23rd-largest of 54 in Africa; the US is the third-largest.
Botswana has about 3 million people (2025), the 142nd-most populous country in the world, against 342 million in the US. With 4.4 people per km² it is far emptier than the US (35 per km²): the US is about 7.9 times as crowded.
Botswana and the US on a world map
Botswana reaches from 27°S to 18°S; the US from 19°N to 71°N, with Hawaii in the south and Alaska in the far north. Most world maps use the Mercator projection, which enlarges places more the further they are from the Equator. It draws Botswana about 1.17 times its real size and the US about 2.3 times (Alaska far more than Florida). So on a normal world map the US looks about 33 times the size of Botswana, when it is really about 17 times. The equal-area map above shows the real difference.
Where Botswana is
Botswana's capital, Gaborone, is 12,770 km (7,940 miles) from Washington, D.C. as the crow flies. Botswana borders 4 countries: Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It has no coast.
Botswana and US in numbers
| Botswana | US | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 581,730 km² 224,607 sq mi | 9,833,517 km² 3,796,741 sq mi | The US is 17× bigger |
| Population (2025) | 2,562,122 | 341,784,857 | The US has 133× more |
| Rank by area | 48th-largest | Third-largest | of 197 countries |
| People per km² | 4 | 35 | The US is 7.9× denser |
| Capital | Gaborone | Washington, D.C. | 12,770 km apart |
| Neighbouring countries | 4 | 2 |
Botswana compared with US states
Frequently asked questions
Is Botswana bigger than the US?
No. The US is about 17 times the size of Botswana: 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi) against 581,730 km² (224,607 sq mi).
How many times would Botswana fit into the US?
About 17 times (16.90). Into the 48 contiguous states alone, about 14 times.
Which US state is Botswana closest in size to?
Texas (695,668 km²). Texas is about 1.2 times the size of Botswana.
Which has more people, Botswana or the US?
The US: about 342 million people in 2025, about 133 times the 3 million in Botswana.
Why does Botswana look so small on a world map?
Most world maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches places more the further they are from the Equator. The US is further from the Equator than Botswana, so it is stretched more. On a Mercator map the US looks about 33 times the size of Botswana, not 17.
Where does Botswana rank by size?
Botswana is the 48th-largest of the world's 197 countries by total area and the 23rd-largest in Africa. The US is the third-largest.
How far is Botswana from the US?
Botswana's capital, Gaborone, is 12,770 km (7,940 miles) from Washington, D.C. in a straight line.
Sources
- Areas: CIA World Factbook (total area, land and water). US states: US Census Bureau.
- Populations: World Bank, World Development Indicators (2025).
- Outlines are drawn on an equal-area projection, so their sizes on the map match their real areas.