The Central African Republic is 12.2 times bigger by total area compared to Costa Rica: 240,535 sq mi vs 19,761 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of the Central African Republic is 240,534 sq mi vs 19,714 sq mi for Costa Rica — a 12.2 times difference in territory size.
- The Central African Republic ranks 44/197 by total surface area vs 126/197 for Costa Rica.
- The Central African Republic occupies 0.42% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.03% for Costa Rica.
- 9.1% of the Central African Republic's area is agricultural land vs 33.1% in Costa Rica.
- The CAR has 0.12% of the world's agricultural land area — Costa Rica has 0.04%.
- 35.7% of the CAR is covered by forests, compared to 60.4% in Costa Rica.
- 0.55% of the world's forests are in the Central African Republic, and 0.08% are in Costa Rica.
Total size and land area comparison
CAR
|
Costa Rica
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Total area |
240,535 sq mi |
19,761 sq mi |
| Size difference ratio | 12.2 | 1 |
| Total area rank | 44/197 | 126/197 |
| Share of all countries' surface area | 0.12% | 0.01% |
| Land area |
240,534 sq mi |
19,714 sq mi |
| Land area difference ratio | 12.2 | 1 |
| Land area rank | 43/197 | 126/197 |
| Share of all countries' land area | 0.42% | 0.03% |
| Population | 5,330,690 | 5,129,910 |
| Population density | 23.7 ppl/mi² | 262.6 ppl/mi² |
Surface area by type
|
CAR
|
Costa Rica
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Forest area |
85,765 sq mi |
11,907 sq mi |
| Forest area as share of land | 35.7% | 60.4% |
| Forest area rank | 27/196 | 90/196 |
| World's forests share | 0.55% | 0.08% |
Agricultural land area
|
21,887 sq mi |
6,534 sq mi |
| Agricultural land share | 9.1% | 33.1% |
| Agricultural land area rank | 83/194 | 125/194 |
| Share of global agricultural land | 0.12% | 0.04% |
|
Arable land
|
6,950 sq mi |
645 sq mi |
| Arable land share | 2.89% | 3.27% |
| Arable land area rank | 86/191 | 142/191 |
|
Permanent cropland
|
3,393 sq mi |
1,456 sq mi |
| Permanent cropland share | 1.41% | 7.39% |
| Permanent cropland area rank | 42/192 | 62/192 |
|
Water area
|
1.54 sq mi |
46.3 sq mi |
| Water as share of total area | 0.0006% | 0.23% |
| Water area rank | 153/197 | 138/197 |
| Roads length |
14,913 mi |
3,129 mi |
| Land borders length |
3,679 mi |
411 mi |
| Coastline length |
0 mi |
802 mi |
| Share of marine protected waters | n/a | 28.4% |
Central African Republic vs Costa Rica size on the map
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/size/central-african-republic/costa-rica | CC BY
The map above outlines the borders of the Central African Republic and Costa Rica 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:
- World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2023–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
- Wikidata (2026, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2025, retrieved 2026-02-20)
- 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.
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) — you’re free to copy, share, remix, adapt, and use even commercially as long as you give appropriate credit and clearly indicate if you made changes. Other sources may be subject to different license terms.