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.
Asia · YEM · Country profile
Yemen: true size, area and map scale
Explore the country's geographic outline, see it in different projections and compare it with a familiar scale.
Simplified outline · Natural Earth527,970 km²
- Total surface area
- 527,970 km² 2023 data
- Population
- 41,773,878 2025 data
- Population density
- 79.1 per km² Population ÷ land area
- Land area
- 527,970 km² 2023 data
- Capital
- Sana'a Asia
- Country code
- YEM 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.
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.
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 Yemen?
A familiar reference, a similar area and a different latitude. Both outlines in each preview share the same scale.
YemenOther country
Compare outlines on the map
A familiar reference
Yemen vs Poland
Area ratio (Yemen / Poland): about 1.7.
Compare size 1:1Compare outlines on the map
Similar area
Yemen vs Thailand
Thailand: 513,140 km². Compare their areas.
Compare size 1:1Compare outlines on the map
A different latitude
Yemen vs Greenland
See how location affects the impression of size.
Compare size 1:1The numbers in context
Yemen: true size, population, and map scale without illusions
Yemen covers 527,970 km², ranking 51 out of 200 by area in this dataset. This is a mid-to-large area, useful for comparisons with countries familiar from European maps. Within Asia, that places it 12 out of 47.
Yemen is about 1.7 times larger than Poland by area. 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 Thailand.
More about area, population and location
The population is approximately 41,773,878 people, with an average density of 79.1/km². Yemen ranks 37 out of 197 by population and 110 out of 197 by density. That is moderate density, useful for reading the relationship between area, cities, and landscape.
Within its continent, Yemen represents about 1.7% of the area and about 0.87% of the population covered by this dataset. Its continental population rank is 16 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 Yemen is best read through several lenses: raw numbers, an equal-scale outline, a comparison with Poland, and a matchup with Thailand. Then the map stops being a picture and starts becoming a tool for discovery.
If you want to remember the scale quickly, compare Yemen with a country of similar area and a country of similar population. By population, Canada is a useful next clue.
#51AreaArea rank among 200 countries and territories with a verified area.
#12ContinentYemen covers about 1.7% of the area in Asia.
#37PopulationAbout 41,773,878 people; continental rank 16 of 47.
79.1/km²DensityAverage people per square kilometer; density rank: #110 of 197.ThailandClosest scaleThe most natural same-area outline comparison.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 Yemen?
Yemen covers 527,970 km². In this dataset, that ranks 51 out of 200 by area, and 12 out of 47 within its continent. Yemen is about 1.7 times larger than Poland by area.
How many people live in Yemen, and how dense is it?
The population is approximately 41,773,878 people, with an average density of 79.1/km². Yemen ranks 37 out of 197 by population and 110 out of 197 by density. That is moderate density, useful for reading the relationship between area, cities, and landscape.
What should I compare Yemen with to understand its scale?
Two comparisons work especially well: Yemen vs Poland as a familiar reference point, and Yemen vs Thailand because their areas are very close. For population, Canada is another useful comparison.
Do world maps show Yemen 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 Yemen 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 Yemen?
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.
Keep exploring
Choose another perspective
Geometry: Natural Earth / world-atlas, public domain. Outlines simplified and transformed into map projections. Sources, licences and data coverage.