Maldives vs US size comparison
How Big Is the Maldives Compared to the US?
The US is about 33,000 times the size of the Maldives. The Maldives is about 51 times as densely populated. Drag the Maldives over the US below to see the difference at true size.
Hawaii and the territories are not drawn.
Printable Maldives vs US size comparison
Free to print or share: the Maldives laid over the US at true size, with both areas, on one landscape A4 or US Letter page.
Key facts
- Area of the Maldives
- 298 km² (115 sq mi)
- Area of the US
- 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi)
- Size difference
- The US is about 33,000 times bigger
- Closest US state in size
- Rhode Island (4,001 km²)
- Population (2025)
- The Maldives 529,676; the US 341,784,857
- The Maldives's rank by area
- 189th-largest of 197
How big the Maldives is compared with the US
The US is about 33,000 times the size of the Maldives: 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi) against 298 km² (115 sq mi). Even the 48 contiguous states alone, without Alaska, could hold the Maldives about 27,000 times. The Maldives is smaller than every US state, even Rhode Island. It is the 189th-largest of the world's 197 countries, and the 47th-largest of 47 in Asia; the US is the third-largest.
The Maldives has about 529,700 people (2025), the 169th-most populous country in the world, against 342 million in the US. With 1,777 people per km² it is about 51 times as crowded as the US (35 per km²), the sixth-most densely populated country.
The Maldives and the US on a world map
The Maldives reaches from 1°S to 7°N; 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 the Maldives about 1.01 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 75,000 times the size of the Maldives, when it is really about 33,000 times. The equal-area map above shows the real difference.
Where the Maldives is
The Maldives's capital, Malé, is 14,350 km (8,920 miles) from Washington, D.C. as the crow flies. The Maldives is an island country with no land borders.
Maldives and US in numbers
| Maldives | US | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 298 km² 115 sq mi | 9,833,517 km² 3,796,741 sq mi | The US is 32,998× bigger |
| Population (2025) | 529,676 | 341,784,857 | The US has 645× more |
| Rank by area | 189th-largest | Third-largest | of 197 countries |
| People per km² | 1,777 | 35 | The Maldives is 51× denser |
| Capital | Malé | Washington, D.C. | 14,350 km apart |
| Neighbouring countries | 0 | 2 |
Maldives compared with US states
Frequently asked questions
Is the Maldives bigger than the US?
No. The US is about 33,000 times the size of the Maldives: 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi) against 298 km² (115 sq mi).
How many times would the Maldives fit into the US?
About 33,000 times (32,998). Into the 48 contiguous states alone, about 27,000 times.
Which US state is the Maldives closest in size to?
Rhode Island (4,001 km²). Rhode Island is about 13 times the size of the Maldives.
Is the Maldives bigger than Texas?
No. Texas is about 2,334 times the size of the Maldives.
Which has more people, the Maldives or the US?
The US: about 342 million people in 2025, about 645 times the 529,700 in the Maldives.
Why does the Maldives 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 the Maldives, so it is stretched more. On a Mercator map the US looks about 75,000 times the size of the Maldives, not 33,000.
Where does the Maldives rank by size?
The Maldives is the 189th-largest of the world's 197 countries by total area and the 47th-largest in Asia. The US is the third-largest.
How far is the Maldives from the US?
The Maldives's capital, Malé, is 14,350 km (8,920 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.