France is slightly bigger by total area compared to Madagascar: 248,573 sq mi vs 226,756 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of Madagascar is 224,634 sq mi vs 208,090 sq mi for France.
- France ranks 42/197 by total surface area vs 46/197 for Madagascar.
- France occupies 0.36% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.39% for Madagascar.
- 52.5% of France's area is agricultural land vs 70.3% in Madagascar.
- France has 0.59% of the world's agricultural land area — Madagascar has 0.86%.
- 32.5% of France is covered by forests, compared to 21.3% in Madagascar.
- 0.43% of the world's forests are in France, and 0.31% are in Madagascar.
Total size and land area comparison
France
|
Madagascar
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Total area |
248,573 sq mi |
226,756 sq mi |
| Size difference ratio | 1.1 | 1 |
| Total area rank | 42/197 | 46/197 |
| Share of all countries' surface area | 0.13% | 0.12% |
| Land area |
208,090 sq mi |
224,634 sq mi |
| Land area difference ratio | 1 | 1.08 |
| Land area rank | 48/197 | 44/197 |
| Share of all countries' land area | 0.36% | 0.39% |
| Population | 68,551,653 | 31,964,956 |
| Population density | 330 ppl/mi² | 149.3 ppl/mi² |
Surface area by type
|
France
|
Madagascar
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Forest area |
67,580 sq mi |
47,839 sq mi |
| Forest area as share of land | 32.5% | 21.3% |
| Forest area rank | 37/196 | 48/196 |
| World's forests share | 0.43% | 0.31% |
Agricultural land area
|
109,256 sq mi |
157,896 sq mi |
| Agricultural land share | 52.5% | 70.3% |
| Agricultural land area rank | 41/194 | 26/194 |
| Share of global agricultural land | 0.59% | 0.86% |
|
Arable land
|
65,248 sq mi |
11,583 sq mi |
| Arable land share | 31.4% | 5.16% |
| Arable land area rank | 18/191 | 67/191 |
|
Permanent cropland
|
3,967 sq mi |
2,317 sq mi |
| Permanent cropland share | 1.91% | 1.03% |
| Permanent cropland area rank | 36/192 | 51/192 |
|
Water area
|
40,483 sq mi |
2,122 sq mi |
| Water as share of total area | 16.3% | 0.94% |
| Water area rank | 8/197 | 63/197 |
| Roads length |
654,437 mi |
19,660 mi |
| Land borders length |
2,458 mi |
0 mi |
| Coastline length |
3,016 mi |
3,000 mi |
| Share of marine protected waters | 49.8% | 1.3% |
France vs Madagascar size on the map
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/size/france/madagascar | CC BY
The map above outlines the borders of France 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:
- 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.