Which is bigger: Afghanistan or Somalia?

Afghanistan is larger (652,864 km²) — about 1.0 times the size of Somalia (637,657 km²).

Why do Afghanistan and Somalia look different on the map than in reality?

The common Mercator projection enlarges areas the farther they lie from the equator, so the on-map size proportions of Afghanistan and Somalia are distorted compared to their true land area.

Afghanistan vs Somalia Size Comparison

Discover the true size difference between Afghanistan and Somalia. Compare their overlaid silhouettes and learn how the Mercator projection distorts scale.