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France's area vs Nepal's: size comparison by land type

Updated on by Georank team

France is 4.37 times bigger by total area compared to Nepal: 248,573 sq mi vs 56,827 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of France is 208,090 sq mi vs 55,348 sq mi for Nepal — a 3.76 times difference in territory size.

  • France ranks 42/197 by total surface area vs 93/197 for Nepal.
  • France occupies 0.36% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.1% for Nepal.
  • 52.5% of France's area is agricultural land vs 26.1% in Nepal.
  • France has 0.59% of the world's agricultural land area — Nepal has 0.08%.
  • 32.5% of France is covered by forests, compared to 41.6% in Nepal.
  • 0.43% of the world's forests are in France, and 0.15% are in Nepal.

True size map comparison: France vs Nepal

See how France and Nepal 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

France Nepal
Total area 248,573
sq mi
56,827
sq mi
Size difference ratio 4.37 1
Total area rank 42/197 93/197
Share of all countries' surface area 0.13% 0.03%
Land area 208,090
sq mi
55,348
sq mi
Land area difference ratio 3.76 1
Land area rank 48/197 92/197
Share of all countries' land area 0.36% 0.1%
Population 68,551,653 29,651,054
Population density 330 ppl/mi² 535 ppl/mi²

Surface area by type

France Nepal
Forest area 67,580
sq mi
23,020
sq mi
Forest area as share of land 32.5% 41.6%
Forest area rank 37/196 71/196
World's forests share 0.43% 0.15%
Agricultural land area 109,256
sq mi
14,456
sq mi
Agricultural land share 52.5% 26.1%
Agricultural land area rank 41/194 99/194
Share of global agricultural land 0.59% 0.08%
Arable land 65,248
sq mi
6,965
sq mi
Arable land share 31.4% 12.6%
Arable land area rank 18/191 85/191
Permanent cropland 3,967
sq mi
560
sq mi
Permanent cropland share 1.91% 1.01%
Permanent cropland area rank 36/192 94/192
Water area 40,483
sq mi
1,479
sq mi
Water as share of total area 16.3% 2.6%
Water area rank 8/197 75/197
Roads length 654,437
mi
49,758
mi
Land borders length 2,458
mi
1,963
mi
Coastline length 3,016
mi
0
mi
Share of marine protected waters 49.8% n/a

France vs Nepal size on the map

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

GeoRank.org/size/france/nepal | CC BY

The map above outlines the borders of France and Nepal 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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