Mauritania is 28.5 times bigger by total area compared to Guinea-Bissau: 397,955 sq mi vs 13,948 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of Mauritania is 397,955 sq mi vs 10,857 sq mi for Guinea-Bissau — a 36.7 times difference in territory size.
- Guinea-Bissau ranks 135/197 by total surface area vs 28/197 for Mauritania.
- Guinea-Bissau occupies 0.02% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.69% for Mauritania.
- 29.9% of Guinea-Bissau's area is agricultural land vs 38.5% in Mauritania.
- Guinea-Bissau has 0.02% of the world's agricultural land area — Mauritania has 0.83%.
- 69.5% of Guinea-Bissau is covered by forests, compared to 0.29% in Mauritania.
- 0.05% of the world's forests are in Guinea-Bissau, and 0.007% are in Mauritania.
Total size and land area comparison
Guinea-Bissau
|
Mauritania
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Total area |
13,948 sq mi |
397,955 sq mi |
| Size difference ratio | 1 | 28.5 |
| Total area rank | 135/197 | 28/197 |
| Share of all countries' surface area | 0.007% | 0.2% |
| Land area |
10,857 sq mi |
397,955 sq mi |
| Land area difference ratio | 1 | 36.7 |
| Land area rank | 139/197 | 28/197 |
| Share of all countries' land area | 0.02% | 0.69% |
| Population | 2,201,352 | 5,169,395 |
| Population density | 211.7 ppl/mi² | 13.7 ppl/mi² |
Surface area by type
|
Guinea-Bissau
|
Mauritania
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Forest area |
7,547 sq mi |
1,145 sq mi |
| Forest area as share of land | 69.5% | 0.29% |
| Forest area rank | 111/196 | 149/196 |
| World's forests share | 0.05% | 0.007% |
Agricultural land area
|
3,245 sq mi |
153,321 sq mi |
| Agricultural land share | 29.9% | 38.5% |
| Agricultural land area rank | 142/194 | 28/194 |
| Share of global agricultural land | 0.02% | 0.83% |
|
Arable land
|
1,527 sq mi |
1,737 sq mi |
| Arable land share | 14.1% | 0.44% |
| Arable land area rank | 131/191 | 125/191 |
|
Permanent cropland
|
965 sq mi |
38.6 sq mi |
| Permanent cropland share | 8.89% | 0.01% |
| Permanent cropland area rank | 78/192 | 153/192 |
|
Water area
|
3,091 sq mi |
0 sq mi |
| Water as share of total area | 22.2% | 0% |
| Water area rank | 55/197 | 182/197 |
| Roads length |
2,734 mi |
7,614 mi |
| Land borders length |
473 mi |
3,108 mi |
| Coastline length |
217.5 mi |
469 mi |
| Share of marine protected waters | 9.1% | 3.7% |
Guinea-Bissau vs Mauritania size on the map
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/size/guinea-bissau/mauritania | CC BY
The map above outlines the borders of Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania 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.