Zambia is 1.63 times bigger by total area compared to Papua New Guinea: 290,587 sq mi vs 178,704 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of Zambia is 287,024 sq mi vs 174,850 sq mi for Papua New Guinea — a 1.64 times difference in territory size.
- Papua New Guinea ranks 53/197 by total surface area vs 38/197 for Zambia.
- Papua New Guinea occupies 0.3% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.5% for Zambia.
- 3.1% of Papua New Guinea's area is agricultural land vs 32.1% in Zambia.
- Papua has 0.03% of the world's agricultural land area — Zambia has 0.5%.
- 79% of Papua is covered by forests, compared to 59.5% in Zambia.
- 0.89% of the world's forests are in Papua New Guinea, and 1.1% are in Zambia.
Total size and land area comparison
Papua New Guinea
|
Zambia
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Total area |
178,704 sq mi |
290,587 sq mi |
| Size difference ratio | 1 | 1.63 |
| Total area rank | 53/197 | 38/197 |
| Share of all countries' surface area | 0.09% | 0.15% |
| Land area |
174,850 sq mi |
287,024 sq mi |
| Land area difference ratio | 1 | 1.64 |
| Land area rank | 54/197 | 37/197 |
| Share of all countries' land area | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Population | 10,576,502 | 21,314,956 |
| Population density | 62.6 ppl/mi² | 78.5 ppl/mi² |
Surface area by type
|
Papua New Guinea
|
Zambia
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Forest area |
138,051 sq mi |
170,848 sq mi |
| Forest area as share of land | 79% | 59.5% |
| Forest area rank | 19/196 | 17/196 |
| World's forests share | 0.89% | 1.1% |
Agricultural land area
|
5,425 sq mi |
92,043 sq mi |
| Agricultural land share | 3.1% | 32.1% |
| Agricultural land area rank | 132/194 | 47/194 |
| Share of global agricultural land | 0.03% | 0.5% |
|
Arable land
|
1,274 sq mi |
14,672 sq mi |
| Arable land share | 0.73% | 5.11% |
| Arable land area rank | 134/191 | 62/191 |
|
Permanent cropland
|
3,417 sq mi |
150.6 sq mi |
| Permanent cropland share | 1.95% | 0.05% |
| Permanent cropland area rank | 40/192 | 130/192 |
|
Water area
|
3,853 sq mi |
3,563 sq mi |
| Water as share of total area | 2.16% | 1.23% |
| Water area rank | 47/197 | 48/197 |
| Roads length |
5,809 mi |
42,049 mi |
| Land borders length |
512 mi |
3,755 mi |
| Coastline length |
3,201 mi |
0 mi |
| Share of marine protected waters | 0.1% | n/a |
Papua New Guinea vs Zambia size on the map
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/size/papua-new-guinea/zambia | CC BY
The map above outlines the borders of Papua New Guinea and Zambia 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.