Somalia is 8.89 times bigger by total area compared to Sierra Leone: 246,201 sq mi vs 27,699 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of Somalia is 242,217 sq mi vs 27,869 sq mi for Sierra Leone — a 8.69 times difference in territory size.
- Sierra Leone ranks 117/197 by total surface area vs 43/197 for Somalia.
- Sierra Leone occupies 0.05% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.42% for Somalia.
- 54.7% of Sierra Leone's area is agricultural land vs 70.3% in Somalia.
- Sierra Leone has 0.08% of the world's agricultural land area — Somalia has 0.92%.
- 34.3% of Sierra Leone is covered by forests, compared to 9.17% in Somalia.
- 0.06% of the world's forests are in Sierra Leone, and 0.14% are in Somalia.
Total size and land area comparison
Sierra Leone
|
Somalia
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Total area |
27,699 sq mi |
246,201 sq mi |
| Size difference ratio | 1 | 8.89 |
| Total area rank | 117/197 | 43/197 |
| Share of all countries' surface area | 0.01% | 0.13% |
| Land area |
27,869 sq mi |
242,217 sq mi |
| Land area difference ratio | 1 | 8.69 |
| Land area rank | 116/197 | 42/197 |
| Share of all countries' land area | 0.05% | 0.42% |
| Population | 8,642,022 | 19,009,151 |
| Population density | 323 ppl/mi² | 83.9 ppl/mi² |
Surface area by type
|
Sierra Leone
|
Somalia
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Forest area |
9,559 sq mi |
22,200 sq mi |
| Forest area as share of land | 34.3% | 9.17% |
| Forest area rank | 98/196 | 73/196 |
| World's forests share | 0.06% | 0.14% |
Agricultural land area
|
15,247 sq mi |
170,384 sq mi |
| Agricultural land share | 54.7% | 70.3% |
| Agricultural land area rank | 96/194 | 21/194 |
| Share of global agricultural land | 0.08% | 0.92% |
|
Arable land
|
6,116 sq mi |
4,247 sq mi |
| Arable land share | 21.9% | 1.75% |
| Arable land area rank | 89/191 | 104/191 |
|
Permanent cropland
|
637 sq mi |
112.7 sq mi |
| Permanent cropland share | 2.29% | 0.05% |
| Permanent cropland area rank | 90/192 | 141/192 |
|
Water area
|
0 sq mi |
3,983 sq mi |
| Water as share of total area | 0% | 1.62% |
| Water area rank | 191/197 | 45/197 |
| Roads length |
7,270 mi |
9,321 mi |
| Land borders length |
679 mi |
1,482 mi |
| Coastline length |
249.8 mi |
1,880 mi |
| Share of marine protected waters | 1.7% | 0% |
Sierra Leone vs Somalia size on the map
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/size/sierra-leone/somalia | CC BY
The map above outlines the borders of Sierra Leone and Somalia 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.