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The DR Congo's area vs Madagascar's: size comparison by land type

Updated on by Georank team

The DR Congo is 3.99 times bigger by total area compared to Madagascar: 905,355 sq mi vs 226,756 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of the DR Congo is 875,313 sq mi vs 224,634 sq mi for Madagascar — a 3.9 times difference in territory size.

  • The DR Congo ranks 11/197 by total surface area vs 46/197 for Madagascar.
  • The DR Congo occupies 1.52% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.39% for Madagascar.
  • 15.5% of the DR Congo's area is agricultural land vs 70.3% in Madagascar.
  • The DR Congo has 0.74% of the world's agricultural land area — Madagascar has 0.86%.
  • 54.2% of the DR Congo is covered by forests, compared to 21.3% in Madagascar.
  • 3.04% of the world's forests are in the DR Congo, and 0.31% are in Madagascar.

True size map comparison: DR Congo vs Madagascar

See how the DR Congo and Madagascar 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

DR Congo Madagascar
Total area 905,355
sq mi
226,756
sq mi
Size difference ratio 3.99 1
Total area rank 11/197 46/197
Share of all countries' surface area 0.46% 0.12%
Land area 875,313
sq mi
224,634
sq mi
Land area difference ratio 3.9 1
Land area rank 11/197 44/197
Share of all countries' land area 1.52% 0.39%
Population 109,276,265 31,964,956
Population density 133.1 ppl/mi² 149.3 ppl/mi²

Surface area by type

DR Congo Madagascar
Forest area 474,331
sq mi
47,839
sq mi
Forest area as share of land 54.2% 21.3%
Forest area rank 7/196 48/196
World's forests share 3.04% 0.31%
Agricultural land area 135,505
sq mi
157,896
sq mi
Agricultural land share 15.5% 70.3%
Agricultural land area rank 37/194 26/194
Share of global agricultural land 0.74% 0.86%
Arable land 57,521
sq mi
11,583
sq mi
Arable land share 6.57% 5.16%
Arable land area rank 22/191 67/191
Permanent cropland 7,714
sq mi
2,317
sq mi
Permanent cropland share 0.88% 1.03%
Permanent cropland area rank 24/192 51/192
Water area 30,042
sq mi
2,122
sq mi
Water as share of total area 3.32% 0.94%
Water area rank 10/197 63/197
Roads length 94,680
mi
19,660
mi
Land borders length 6,852
mi
0
mi
Coastline length 23
mi
3,000
mi
Share of marine protected waters 0.5% 1.3%

DR Congo vs Madagascar size on the map

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

GeoRank.org/size/dr-congo/madagascar | CC BY

The map above outlines the borders of the DR Congo and Madagascar 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.

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.