How big is the Maldives really?
The Maldives covers 158.52 km² (61 mi²).
- Area
- 158.52 km² (61 mi²)
- Rank by area
- 203 of 219 countries and territories
- Closest in size
- Liechtenstein (160.07 km²)
- Population
- 521,000
- People per km²
- 3,287
- Size on a Mercator map
- 1 times the real size
Open in TrueSizeAll countries by area
Maldives vs United States (Contiguous 48)
The larger of the two covers 50,029 times the area of the smaller one, so the smaller one would fit into it 50,029 times.
| Maldives | United States (Contiguous 48) | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 158.52 km² | 7,930,605 km² |
| Population | 521,000 | 330,211,806 |
| People per km² | 3,287 | 42 |
| Difference in area | 7,930,446 km² | |
Maldives vs United Kingdom
The larger of the two covers 1,530 times the area of the smaller one, so the smaller one would fit into it 1,530 times.
| Maldives | United Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 158.52 km² | 242,602 km² |
| Population | 521,000 | 67,736,802 |
| People per km² | 3,287 | 279 |
| Difference in area | 242,443 km² | |
Maldives 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. This outline lies near the equator, so these maps draw it almost at its true size (1 times).
Countries closest in size
| Rank | Country | Area | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201 | Cook Islands | 186.03 km² | +17% |
| 202 | Liechtenstein | 160.07 km² | +1% |
| 203 | Maldives | 158.52 km² | – |
| 204 | Jersey | 121.14 km² | -24% |
| 205 | British Virgin Islands | 117.36 km² | -26% |
| 206 | Marshall Islands | 105.66 km² | -33% |
Maldives: largest regions
| Region | Area | Share of the country |
|---|---|---|
| South Huvadhu Atoll | 21.29 km² | 13% |
| Hadhdhunmathi | 16.95 km² | 11% |
| Malé Atoll | 12.33 km² | 7.8% |
| South Thiladhunmathi | 11.49 km² | 7.2% |
| Addu Atoll | 10.65 km² | 6.7% |
- First-level regions in TrueSize
- 21
Maldives in history
- First entry on the timeline
- 1153: Maldivian sultanate
- Border changes on the timeline
- 6
- Largest extent on the timeline
- 279 km² (1153–Today)
| Names on the timeline | Years |
|---|---|
| Republic of the Maldives after British withdrawal from Gan | 1976–1977 |
| Republic of the Maldives under Maumoon Abdul Gayoom | 1978–1987 |
| Maldives during the failed coup and Operation Cactus | 1988–1997 |
| Republic under the 1997 constitution | 1998–2002 |
| Republic amid protests and political reform demands | 2003 |
| Maldives during emergency rule and the Indian Ocean tsunami | 2004 |
| Republic after legal recognition of political parties | 2005–2007 |
| Republic of the Maldives under its 2008 constitution | 2008–2011 |
| Republic during disputed presidential succession | 2012 |
| Republic under Abdulla Yameen | 2013–2017 |
| Republic under Ibrahim Mohamed Solih | 2018–2022 |
| Republic under President Mohamed Muizzu | 2023–Today |
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.