Chile is 35.9 times bigger by total area compared to El Salvador: 291,933 sq mi vs 8,124 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of Chile is 286,809 sq mi vs 8,000 sq mi for El Salvador — a 35.9 times difference in territory size.
- Chile ranks 37/197 by total surface area vs 149/197 for El Salvador.
- Chile occupies 0.5% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.01% for El Salvador.
- 14.4% of Chile's area is agricultural land vs 57.7% in El Salvador.
- Chile has 0.22% of the world's agricultural land area — El Salvador has 0.03%.
- 25% of Chile is covered by forests, compared to 27.5% in El Salvador.
- 0.46% of the world's forests are in Chile, and 0.01% are in El Salvador.
Total size and land area comparison
Chile
|
El Salvador
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Total area |
291,933 sq mi |
8,124 sq mi |
| Size difference ratio | 35.9 | 1 |
| Total area rank | 37/197 | 149/197 |
| Share of all countries' surface area | 0.15% | 0.004% |
| Land area |
286,809 sq mi |
8,000 sq mi |
| Land area difference ratio | 35.9 | 1 |
| Land area rank | 38/197 | 150/197 |
| Share of all countries' land area | 0.5% | 0.01% |
| Population | 19,764,771 | 6,338,193 |
| Population density | 69.6 ppl/mi² | 799 ppl/mi² |
Surface area by type
|
Chile
|
El Salvador
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Forest area |
71,736 sq mi |
2,202 sq mi |
| Forest area as share of land | 25% | 27.5% |
| Forest area rank | 34/196 | 136/196 |
| World's forests share | 0.46% | 0.01% |
Agricultural land area
|
41,303 sq mi |
4,617 sq mi |
| Agricultural land share | 14.4% | 57.7% |
| Agricultural land area rank | 68/194 | 135/194 |
| Share of global agricultural land | 0.22% | 0.03% |
|
Arable land
|
5,432 sq mi |
2,784 sq mi |
| Arable land share | 1.89% | 34.8% |
| Arable land area rank | 93/191 | 117/191 |
|
Permanent cropland
|
1,958 sq mi |
618 sq mi |
| Permanent cropland share | 0.68% | 7.72% |
| Permanent cropland area rank | 55/192 | 92/192 |
|
Water area
|
5,124 sq mi |
123.9 sq mi |
| Water as share of total area | 1.76% | 1.53% |
| Water area rank | 38/197 | 123/197 |
| Roads length |
53,427 mi |
5,600 mi |
| Land borders length |
4,847 mi |
367 mi |
| Coastline length |
3,999 mi |
190.8 mi |
| Share of marine protected waters | 41.2% | 0.8% |
Chile vs El Salvador size on the map
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/size/chile/el-salvador | CC BY
The map above outlines the borders of Chile and El Salvador 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.