Belgium is 1.98× the size of Iwate
Belgium (Europe) covers about 30,700 km² (11,800 mi²) and Iwate (prefecture of Japan) about 15,500 km² (5,970 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.
- 30,700km²Belgium
- 15,500km²Iwate
50 km
- Belgium
- Iwate
What fits
- Iwate is 50% of the size of Belgium.
- Belgium is larger by 15,200 km² (5,870 mi²), which is 98% of the area of Iwate.
- Measured in Switzerlands: Belgium is about 0.74, Iwate about 0.37.
How they differ
- Belgium also has the larger population: 11.8 million against 1.2 million, 9.81× as many people.
- Per square kilometre that is 386 in Belgium against 78 in Iwate: Belgium is 4.95× as densely populated.
- Their centres are about 9,130 km apart.
- A standard web map misstates the comparison: Belgium at 51°N is drawn about 2.5× too large and Iwate at 40°N about 1.7×, so the map shows Belgium as 2.93× the size of Iwate instead of 1.98×.
- Together Belgium and Iwate cover 46,100 km², close to the size of Estonia (45,800 km², 0.7% smaller).
- The gap between them, 15,200 km², is about the size of East Timor (15,100 km²).
- At Iwate's density, Belgium would have 2.4 million people (it has 11.8 million). At Belgium's density, Iwate would have 6.0 million (it has 1.2 million).
- Belgium's centre is 11.0° of latitude, about 1,230 km, farther north than Iwate's.
- Belgium ranks 141st of 246 countries and territories by area.
- Iwate is the 2nd largest of the 47 prefectures of Japan and covers 4.1% of its area; it is the 46th most densely populated of them.
- Belgium lies about 11° of latitude (roughly 1,230 km) north of Iwate.
- Shared out evenly, each person in Belgium would have about 2,590 m² and each person in Iwate about 12,830 m².
- Laid side by side, Belgium and Iwate would cover 46,100 km², about the same size as Estonia.
- Together they have 13.0 million people, 1.04× as many people as South Sudan.
- Counted as a country, Iwate would rank 159th by area and 161st by population.
Side by side
| Belgium | Iwate | |
|---|---|---|
| Is a | CountryEurope | PrefectureJapan |
| Area, measured | 30,700 km²11,800 mi² | 15,500 km²5,970 mi² |
| Official area | 30,700 km²Wikidata | 15,300 km²Wikidata |
| Rank by area | 140th of 239worldwide | 2nd of 47in Japan |
| Population | 11.8 millionWikidata, 2025 | 1.2 millionWikidata, 2021 |
| Rank by population | 80th of 237worldwide | 32nd of 47in Japan |
| Density | 386 per km² | 78 per km² |
| Capital | Brussels | Morioka |
| Latitude range | 49°N to 51°N | 39°N to 40°N |
Population: Wikidata 2025 and Wikidata 2021. Official figures: Wikidata (CC0).
- Wikidata's official figure of 30,700 km² agrees with our measured area of 30,700 km², to within 2%.
- Wikidata's official figure of 15,300 km² agrees with our measured area of 15,500 km², to within 2%.
Similar in size to Belgium
Similar in size to Iwate
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Sources and method
- Outlines
- Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 1 - States, Provinces, public domain for the region; Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 0 - Countries, public domain
- Boundary
- De facto, as drawn by Natural Earth. A region is drawn whole, every island included; a country is its main territory.
- Area
- Measured on the WGS84 ellipsoid from the full-detail outlines, shown rounded.
- Drawing
- Each outline is projected with an equal-area projection centred on its own centroid, so areas stay true and the two can be laid over each other.
- Data built
- 2026-11-12