Somalia vs US size comparison
How Big Is Somalia Compared to the US?
The US is about 15 times the size of Somalia. Drag Somalia over the US below to see the difference at true size.
Hawaii and the territories are not drawn.
Printable Somalia vs US size comparison
Free to print or share: Somalia laid over the US at true size, with both areas, on one landscape A4 or US Letter page.
Key facts
- Area of Somalia
- 637,657 km² (246,201 sq mi)
- Area of the US
- 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi)
- Size difference
- The US is about 15 times bigger
- Closest US state in size
- Texas (695,668 km²)
- Population (2025)
- Somalia 19,654,739; the US 341,784,857
- Somalia's rank by area
- 44th-largest of 197
How big Somalia is compared with the US
The US is about 15 times the size of Somalia: 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi) against 637,657 km² (246,201 sq mi). Even the 48 contiguous states alone, without Alaska, could hold Somalia about 13 times. Somalia 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 44th-largest of the world's 197 countries, and the 20th-largest of 54 in Africa; the US is the third-largest.
Somalia has about 20 million people (2025), the 67th-most populous country in the world, against 342 million in the US. At 31 people per km², it is about as crowded as the US (35).
Somalia and the US on a world map
Somalia reaches from 2°S to 12°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 Somalia 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 35 times the size of Somalia, when it is really about 15 times. The equal-area map above shows the real difference.
Where Somalia is
Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, is 12,590 km (7,820 miles) from Washington, D.C. as the crow flies. Somalia borders 3 countries: Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya.
Somalia and US in numbers
| Somalia | US | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 637,657 km² 246,201 sq mi | 9,833,517 km² 3,796,741 sq mi | The US is 15× bigger |
| Population (2025) | 19,654,739 | 341,784,857 | The US has 17× more |
| Rank by area | 44th-largest | Third-largest | of 197 countries |
| People per km² | 31 | 35 | The US is 1.13× denser |
| Capital | Mogadishu | Washington, D.C. | 12,590 km apart |
| Neighbouring countries | 3 | 2 |
Somalia compared with US states
Frequently asked questions
Is Somalia bigger than the US?
No. The US is about 15 times the size of Somalia: 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi) against 637,657 km² (246,201 sq mi).
How many times would Somalia fit into the US?
About 15 times (15.42). Into the 48 contiguous states alone, about 13 times.
Which US state is Somalia closest in size to?
Texas (695,668 km²). Somalia is about the same size as Texas.
Which has more people, Somalia or the US?
The US: about 342 million people in 2025, about 17 times the 20 million in Somalia.
Why does Somalia 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 Somalia, so it is stretched more. On a Mercator map the US looks about 35 times the size of Somalia, not 15.
Where does Somalia rank by size?
Somalia is the 44th-largest of the world's 197 countries by total area and the 20th-largest in Africa. The US is the third-largest.
How far is Somalia from the US?
Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, is 12,590 km (7,820 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.