Sierra Leone is slightly bigger by total area compared to Sri Lanka: 27,699 sq mi vs 25,332 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of Sierra Leone is 27,869 sq mi vs 23,884 sq mi for Sri Lanka — a 1.17 times difference in territory size.
- Sierra Leone ranks 117/197 by total surface area vs 120/197 for Sri Lanka.
- Sierra Leone occupies 0.05% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.04% for Sri Lanka.
- 54.7% of Sierra Leone's area is agricultural land vs 48.6% in Sri Lanka.
- Sierra Leone has 0.08% of the world's agricultural land area — Sri Lanka has 0.06%.
- 34.3% of Sierra Leone is covered by forests, compared to 34% in Sri Lanka.
- 0.06% of the world's forests are in Sierra Leone, and 0.05% are in Sri Lanka.
Total size and land area comparison
Sierra Leone
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Total area |
27,699 sq mi |
25,332 sq mi |
| Size difference ratio | 1.09 | 1 |
| Total area rank | 117/197 | 120/197 |
| Share of all countries' surface area | 0.01% | 0.01% |
| Land area |
27,869 sq mi |
23,884 sq mi |
| Land area difference ratio | 1.17 | 1 |
| Land area rank | 116/197 | 122/197 |
| Share of all countries' land area | 0.05% | 0.04% |
| Population | 8,642,022 | 21,916,000 |
| Population density | 323 ppl/mi² | 928 ppl/mi² |
Surface area by type
|
Sierra Leone
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Forest area |
9,559 sq mi |
8,122 sq mi |
| Forest area as share of land | 34.3% | 34% |
| Forest area rank | 98/196 | 107/196 |
| World's forests share | 0.06% | 0.05% |
Agricultural land area
|
15,247 sq mi |
11,610 sq mi |
| Agricultural land share | 54.7% | 48.6% |
| Agricultural land area rank | 96/194 | 103/194 |
| Share of global agricultural land | 0.08% | 0.06% |
|
Arable land
|
6,116 sq mi |
5,297 sq mi |
| Arable land share | 21.9% | 22.2% |
| Arable land area rank | 89/191 | 94/191 |
|
Permanent cropland
|
637 sq mi |
4,614 sq mi |
| Permanent cropland share | 2.29% | 19.3% |
| Permanent cropland area rank | 90/192 | 31/192 |
|
Water area
|
0 sq mi |
1,448 sq mi |
| Water as share of total area | 0% | 5.72% |
| Water area rank | 191/197 | 77/197 |
| Roads length |
7,270 mi |
70,894 mi |
| Land borders length |
679 mi |
0 mi |
| Coastline length |
249.8 mi |
833 mi |
| Share of marine protected waters | 1.7% | 0.1% |
Sierra Leone vs Sri Lanka size on the map
Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/size/sierra-leone/sri-lanka | CC BY
The map above outlines the borders of Sierra Leone and Sri Lanka 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.