Is Africa Bigger Than Russia? Size Comparison

Is Africa bigger than Russia? Yes. Africa is about 30.3 million square kilometres, while Russia is about 17.1 million. Africa is nearly twice as large as Russia, even though Russia is the biggest country in the world.

Quick Comparison

	Area (approx.)	Notes
Africa	30.3 million km²	A continent with 54 countries
Russia	17.1 million km²	The largest country in the world
Difference	About 13 million km²	Africa is roughly 1.8 times larger

Why It Is Not a Fair Comparison

Africa is a continent made of 54 countries, while Russia is a single country. The largest country in Africa, Algeria, is about 2.4 million km², which is much smaller than Russia. So Russia is bigger than any single African country, but Africa as a whole is bigger than Russia.

Why Maps Can Be Misleading

Many world maps use a projection that stretches areas near the poles. This makes Russia, Greenland and Canada look bigger than they are, and makes Africa look smaller. In reality, Africa is much larger than most people expect.

Africa in Perspective

• Africa could fit the United States, China, India and much of Europe inside it
• The Sahara alone is about the size of the United States
• Morocco sits in the north-west of Africa, with the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts

Want to see the Sahara yourself? Read our guide to a Morocco desert tour from Marrakech. You may also like Is Africa bigger than the United States? and Is Morocco in the Middle East?.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Africa bigger than Russia?

Yes, Africa is about 1.8 times larger than Russia.

Is Russia bigger than any African country?

Yes. Russia is far larger than Algeria, the biggest African country.

How many countries are in Africa?

Africa has 54 recognised countries.

Is the Sahara bigger than Russia?

No. The Sahara is about 9 million km², roughly half the size of Russia.

Plan Your Morocco Trip

Questions about travelling in Morocco? Message us on WhatsApp and we will help you plan your trip to the Sahara.