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Belgium's area vs Syria's: size comparison by land type

Updated on by Georank team

Syria is 6.03 times bigger by total area compared to Belgium: 71,498 sq mi vs 11,849 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of Syria is 70,900 sq mi vs 11,774 sq mi for Belgium — a 6.02 times difference in territory size.

  • Belgium ranks 137/197 by total surface area vs 87/197 for Syria.
  • Belgium occupies 0.02% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.12% for Syria.
  • 44.4% of Belgium's area is agricultural land vs 74.1% in Syria.
  • Belgium has 0.03% of the world's agricultural land area — Syria has 0.29%.
  • 22.6% of Belgium is covered by forests, compared to 2.84% in Syria.
  • 0.02% of the world's forests are in Belgium, and 0.01% are in Syria.

True size map comparison: Belgium vs Syria

See how Belgium and Syria compare in true size on the map. Drag the outlines to different latitudes to see how the Mercator projection affects their apparent size.

Total size and land area comparison

Belgium Syria
Total area 11,849
sq mi
71,498
sq mi
Size difference ratio 1 6.03
Total area rank 137/197 87/197
Share of all countries' surface area 0.006% 0.04%
Land area 11,774
sq mi
70,900
sq mi
Land area difference ratio 1 6.02
Land area rank 136/197 87/197
Share of all countries' land area 0.02% 0.12%
Population 11,858,610 24,672,760
Population density 1,011 ppl/mi² 375 ppl/mi²

Surface area by type

Belgium Syria
Forest area 2,661
sq mi
2,016
sq mi
Forest area as share of land 22.6% 2.84%
Forest area rank 133/196 138/196
World's forests share 0.02% 0.01%
Agricultural land area 5,225
sq mi
52,533
sq mi
Agricultural land share 44.4% 74.1%
Agricultural land area rank 133/194 61/194
Share of global agricultural land 0.03% 0.29%
Arable land 3,333
sq mi
16,988
sq mi
Arable land share 28.3% 24%
Arable land area rank 112/191 53/191
Permanent cropland 89.6
sq mi
4,027
sq mi
Permanent cropland share 0.76% 5.68%
Permanent cropland area rank 145/192 34/192
Water area 74.9
sq mi
598
sq mi
Water as share of total area 0.63% 0.84%
Water area rank 129/197 101/197
Roads length 73,579
mi
n/a
Land borders length 806
mi
1,468
mi
Coastline length 41.3
mi
119.9
mi
Share of marine protected waters 38.3% 0.2%

Belgium vs Syria size on the map

Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/size/belgium/syria | CC BY

The map above outlines the borders of Belgium and Syria but is not accurate for size comparison because it's a 2d map with Mercator projection that distorts territories near the poles. The farther a country is from the equator, the more magnified it appears. More about country size projections.

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Data sources:

  1. World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2023–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
  2. Wikidata (2026, retrieved 2026-02-08)
  3. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2025, retrieved 2026-02-20)
  4. United Nations | World Population Prospects (2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)

Total agricultural land encompasses all areas used for agriculture: territories under permanent and temporary crops and pastures. It includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vineyards, but excludes sites utilized for timber production.

Arable land encompasses fields utilized for temporary crop production, pastures, market or kitchen gardens, and temporarily fallowed land. Land abandoned due to shifting cultivation practices is not included.

Permanent cropland refers to farmland for the long-term cultivation of crops, such as coffee, cocoa, and rubber, which do not require replanting after each harvest. This category encompasses land with permanent crops like flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vines, but does not include land under trees for timber production.

Inland areas under water, such as large rivers, lakes, and some coastal waterways.

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