How big is France really?
France covers 666,290 km² (257,256 mi²).
- Area
- 666,290 km² (257,256 mi²)
- Rank by area
- 41 of 219 countries and territories
- Closest in size
- Myanmar (669,471 km²)
- Population
- 68,050,000
- People per km²
- 102
- Size on a Mercator map
- 1.9 times the real size
- Metropolitan France
- 547,612 km²
Open in TrueSizeAll countries by area
France vs United States (Contiguous 48)
The larger of the two covers 11.9 times the area of the smaller one, so the smaller one would fit into it 11.9 times.
| France | United States (Contiguous 48) | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 666,290 km² | 7,930,605 km² |
| Population | 68,050,000 | 330,211,806 |
| People per km² | 102 | 42 |
| Difference in area | 7,264,315 km² | |
France vs United Kingdom
The larger of the two covers 2.7 times the area of the smaller one, so the smaller one would fit into it 2.7 times.
| France | United Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 666,290 km² | 242,602 km² |
| Population | 68,050,000 | 67,736,802 |
| People per km² | 102 | 279 |
| Difference in area | 423,688 km² | |
France on a Mercator map
Most online maps and many printed world maps use the Mercator projection, which enlarges areas more and more towards the poles. On these maps this outline is drawn 1.9 times larger than its true size.
The outline reaches from 49.7° S to 51.1° N; at these latitudes Mercator enlarges areas between 1 and 2.5 times.
- Area as drawn on a Mercator map
- 1,295,497 km²
- A country that really is about that size
- Peru
Countries closest in size
| Rank | Country | Area | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | Myanmar | 669,471 km² | +0.5% |
| 41 | France | 666,290 km² | – |
| 42 | South Sudan | 656,077 km² | -1.5% |
| 43 | Afghanistan | 641,963 km² | -3.7% |
| 44 | Somalia | 638,225 km² | -4.2% |
| 45 | Central African Republic | 621,309 km² | -6.8% |
France: largest regions
| Region | Area | Share of the country |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan France | 547,612 km² | 82% |
| French Guiana | 83,992 km² | 13% |
| New Caledonia | 18,438 km² | 2.8% |
| French Southern and Antarctic Lands | 7,460 km² | 1.1% |
| French Polynesia | 2,808 km² | 0.4% |
- First-level regions in TrueSize
- 14
France in history
- First entry on the timeline
- 987: Capetian Kingdom of the Franks
- Border changes on the timeline
- 111
- Largest extent on the timeline
- 12,715,927 km² (1920–1937)
| Names on the timeline | Years |
|---|---|
| First French Empire | 1804–1813 |
| Bourbon Restoration | 1814–1829 |
| July Monarchy | 1830–1847 |
| French Second Republic | 1848–1851 |
| French Second Empire | 1852–1869 |
| French Third Republic | 1870–1939 |
| France | 1880–Today |
| France (Vichy, occupation, and Free France) | 1940–1943 |
| Provisional Government of the French Republic | 1944–1945 |
| Transition to the French Fourth Republic | 1946 |
| French Fourth Republic | 1947–1957 |
| French Fifth Republic | 1958–1993 |
More comparisons
Areas are calculated from the outlines TrueSize draws on the map, so they can differ slightly from official figures. Population figures are estimates.