Portugal Size – How Big Is Portugal?
When it comes to European countries, Portugal is considered relatively small in total land area. This nation located along the Atlantic coast on the Iberian Peninsula occupies just 92,212 square kilometers or 35,603 square miles across its mainland territories and Atlantic archipelagos. While diminutive in size, Portugal boasts a rich history as a former maritime empire along with contrasting landscapes of cities, vineyards, beaches, and islands ripe for exploration.
How Big Is Portugal?
The total area of mainland Portugal covers 88,889 square kilometers or 34,286 square miles. The remaining 3,323 square km (1,283 sq mi) is comprised of the Portuguese Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira. To put the complete area in perspective, Portugal is roughly the same size as the U.S. state of Indiana at 94,321 sq km (36,420 sq mi) or the European nation of Hungary at 93,011 sq km (35,919 sq mi).
Given this, Portugal ranks as the 111th largest country globally in terms of land area.
Portugal Area
Breaking it down further, mainland Portugal on its own would be comparable in area to the U.S. state of Maine at 91,646 square km (35,387 sq miles). The Azores represents the largest portion of Portuguese island territory at 2,333 sq km, which is about the size of the small European nation of Luxembourg at 2,586 sq km. Madeira covers the remaining 801 sq km.
Portugal in Square Miles
To summarize Portugal’s total area – it spans 35,603 square miles across its European and Atlantic territories combined. This relatively small total area is what allows the intrepid traveler to potentially explore the highlights of Portugal’s diverse landscapes in a relatively compact area without logging too many miles.
Portugal Compared To United States
Just how small is the total 35,603 square mile area of Portugal compared to the United States? It amounts to only a tiny 0.4% the overall land area of the 50 U.S. states which total 3.8 million square miles. To illustrate the difference, you could fit about 250 Portugals within the total territory of the U.S.
How Big Is Portugal Compared to The US State Of California?
While California ranks as a large state in the U.S., it still outranks Portugal’s total area substantially. At 163,696 square miles, the Golden State is nearly 4.6 times as large as Portugal’s area, which is only about 21.75% of California’s size.
How Big Is Portugal Compared to The US State Of Texas?
The state of Texas is another vast territory compared to Portugal’s small footprint. At 268,597 square miles, Texas outranks Portugal’s area by over 7.5 times as it covers an area only 13.2% the size of the Lone Star State.
How Big Is Portugal Compared to England?
England, which makes up the largest part of the United Kingdom, has a total area of 50,346 square miles. This means England is actually larger than mainland Portugal, covering an area around 1.4 times the size of Portugal’s 35,603 square miles.
How Big Is Portugal Compared to Brazil?
Portugal’s former colonial territory of Brazil absolutely dwarfs the European nation in terms of sheer scale. At 3,287,956 square miles, Brazil’s land area covers a staggering 92 times the area of its former ruler Portugal, which comprises only around 1.1% of Brazil’s immense size.
How Big Is Portugal Compared to Spain?
The nation closest to Portugal in geography and size is neighboring Spain on the Iberian Peninsula. However, Spain is considerably larger covering 195,365 square miles of territory. This makes Spain’s area over 5.5 times as large as Portugal, which covers just 18.23% of the size of its Iberian counterpart.
So while Portugal is small among European nations in total land area, its compact size and accessible mix of landscapes from cities to coasts allows visitors to experience a great deal of geographic diversity without too much ground to cover. This pint-sized nation with an oversized history and culture certainly makes up for its modest footprint.
Portugal’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): An Oceanic Extension
Beyond its land borders, Portugal’s presence stretches far into the Atlantic, marked by an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) that covers 1,727,408 square kilometers. This vast maritime territory, the third largest within the European Union and the 20th globally, underscores Portugal’s significant maritime heritage and contemporary influence.
What Is an EEZ?
An EEZ is a sea zone that extends up to 200 nautical miles from a country’s coast, where that country has exclusive rights to marine resources, including fish, minerals, and energy production. It’s a concept established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, balancing resource rights with the obligation to protect marine environments.
Portugal’s Maritime Advantage
Thanks to its strategic Atlantic islands, the Azores and Madeira, Portugal’s EEZ is not just a number. It’s a gateway to economic development through sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, and renewable energy sources like wind and wave power. This territory offers a unique blend of opportunities for economic growth and environmental stewardship, reflecting Portugal’s commitment to sustainable ocean management.
