Asia · KHM · Country profile

Cambodia: true size, area and map scale

Explore the country's geographic outline, see it in different projections and compare it with a familiar scale.

True geographic outline
Simplified outline · Natural Earth181,035 km²
Total surface area
181,035 km²
2024 edition
Population
17,847,982
2025 data
Population density
101.1 per km²
Population ÷ land area
Land area
176,520 km²
2023 data
Capital
Phnom Penh
Asia
Country code
KHM
ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 / UN M49
Explore the shape

Country shape under different projections

The same country, different ways to show the Earth. Each outline opens a map with this country selected.

Loading outline

Mercator

Conformal, cylindrical. Meridians and parallels form a rectangular grid, and the spacing between parallels grows toward the poles, so polar regions are hugely enlarged.

Loading outline

Globe (Orthographic)

Neither equal-area nor conformal, perspective azimuthal. It looks like a photograph of the globe from space: only one hemisphere is visible, and areas near the edge of the disk are squeezed hard.

Loading outline

Equal Earth

Equal-area, pseudocylindrical. Parallels are straight lines, the poles are flat lines, and the sides of the map are gently rounded, much like Robinson.

Outlines fit their tiles. They show changes in shape, not areas at a shared scale. The Mercator value estimates area inflation at the country's centre.

Understand the scale

How large is Cambodia?

A familiar reference, a similar area and a different latitude. Both outlines in each preview share the same scale.

CambodiaOther country

The numbers in context

Cambodia: true size, population, and map scale without illusions

Cambodia covers 181,035 km², ranking 90 out of 200 by area in this dataset. Its scale becomes clearer when placed beside neighbors or a familiar reference country, because a wall map can flatten our intuition. Within Asia, that places it 25 out of 47.

Cambodia covers about 58% of the area of Poland. This comparison is deliberately simple: Poland works as an easy reference point, and then it makes sense to move toward a similarly sized country. By area, the closest match is Syria.

More about area, population and location

The population is approximately 17,847,982 people, with an average density of 101.1/km². Cambodia ranks 72 out of 197 by population and 90 out of 197 by density. That is dense settlement, so comparing it with area helps explain how intensively space is used.

Within its continent, Cambodia represents about 0.57% of the area and about 0.37% of the population covered by this dataset. Its continental population rank is 25 out of 47, so area alone does not tell the full story.

Asia spans equatorial regions, deserts, mountains, and the far north, so one map projection can dramatically change the feeling of scale. That is why Cambodia is best read through several lenses: raw numbers, an equal-scale outline, a comparison with Poland, and a matchup with Syria. Then the map stops being a picture and starts becoming a tool for discovery.

If you want to remember the scale quickly, compare Cambodia with a country of similar area and a country of similar population. By population, the Netherlands is a useful next clue.

The numeric values are used as comparative references for learning scale. Rankings include only countries and territories with a verified value in the selected sources.

Test your intuition

From map to challenge

Questions and sources

Frequently asked questions about size and location

What is the actual area of Cambodia?

Cambodia covers 181,035 km². In this dataset, that ranks 90 out of 200 by area, and 25 out of 47 within its continent. Cambodia covers about 58% of the area of Poland.

How many people live in Cambodia, and how dense is it?

The population is approximately 17,847,982 people, with an average density of 101.1/km². Cambodia ranks 72 out of 197 by population and 90 out of 197 by density. That is dense settlement, so comparing it with area helps explain how intensively space is used.

What should I compare Cambodia with to understand its scale?

Two comparisons work especially well: Cambodia vs Poland as a familiar reference point, and Cambodia vs Syria because their areas are very close. For population, the Netherlands is another useful comparison.

Do world maps show Cambodia at the right scale?

Asia spans equatorial regions, deserts, mountains, and the far north, so one map projection can dramatically change the feeling of scale. That is why a country's position on the map can mislead, while same-scale outline comparison usually gives a better intuition than a classic atlas.

Why can Cambodia look different in different map projections?

Every projection moves a globe onto a flat surface and must trade something away: shape, area, direction, or distance. On this page, you can compare the impression created by Mercator, orthographic, and equal-area views.

How should I use this page to remember the size of Cambodia?

Start with the numbers, open a 1vs1 comparison with a similar country, and then try the size-illusion quiz. That sequence combines facts, visuals, and play, making the scale easier to remember.

Take a closer look at the data

Each value keeps its own reference year or source edition. Boundaries are simplified and are not suitable for geodetic measurements.

Read the data methodology
Data correction

Cambodia

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Keep exploring

Geometry: Natural Earth / world-atlas, public domain. Outlines simplified and transformed into map projections. Sources, licences and data coverage.