California is 1.02× the size of Paraguay
California (state of the United States) covers about 410,000 km² (158,000 mi²) and Paraguay (South America) about 400,000 km² (154,000 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.
- 410,000km²California
- 400,000km²Paraguay
200 km
- California
- Paraguay
What fits
- Paraguay is 98% of the size of California.
- California is larger by 9,840 km² (3,800 mi²), which is 2.5% of the area of Paraguay.
- Measured in Belgiums: California is about 13.4, Paraguay about 13.0.
How they differ
- California also has the larger population: 39.5 million against 6.8 million, 5.80× as many people.
- Per square kilometre that is 96 in California against 17 in Paraguay: California is 5.67× as densely populated.
- Their centres are about 9,260 km apart.
- A standard web map misstates the comparison: California at 37°N is drawn about 1.6× too large and Paraguay at 23°S about 1.2×, so the map shows California as 1.36× the size of Paraguay instead of 1.02×.
- Together California and Paraguay cover 810,000 km², close to the size of Namibia (823,000 km², 1.6% bigger).
- The gap between them, 9,840 km², is about the size of Lebanon (10,000 km²).
- At Paraguay's density, California would have 7.0 million people (it has 39.5 million). At California's density, Paraguay would have 38.6 million (it has 6.8 million).
- California's centre is 60.4° of latitude, about 6,720 km, farther north than Paraguay's.
- California is the 3rd largest of the 51 states and districts of the United States and covers 4.3% of its area; it is the 12th most densely populated of them.
- Paraguay ranks 61st of 246 countries and territories by area.
- California lies about 60° of latitude (roughly 6,720 km) north of Paraguay, on the other side of the equator.
- Shared out evenly, each person in California would have about 10,360 m² and each person in Paraguay about 58,710 m².
- Laid side by side, California and Paraguay would cover 810,000 km², about the same size as Namibia.
- Together they have 46.3 million people, about as many people as Algeria.
- Counted as a country, California would rank 60th by area and 37th by population.
Side by side
| California | Paraguay | |
|---|---|---|
| Is a | StateUnited States | CountrySouth America |
| Area, measured | 410,000 km²158,000 mi² | 400,000 km²154,000 mi² |
| Official area | 424,000 km²Wikidata | 407,000 km²Wikidata |
| Rank by area | 3rd of 51in the United States | 60th of 239worldwide |
| Population | 39.5 millionWikidata, 2020 | 6.8 millionWikidata, 2017 |
| Rank by population | 1st of 51in the United States | 107th of 237worldwide |
| Density | 96 per km² | 17 per km² |
| Capital | Sacramento | Asunción |
| Latitude range | 33°N to 42°N | 28°S to 19°S |
Population: Wikidata 2020 and Wikidata 2017. Official figures: Wikidata (CC0).
- Our measured 410,000 km² is 3.4% below Wikidata's official figure of 424,000 km². Official figures can include inland water or count land that an outline draws differently.
- Wikidata's official figure of 407,000 km² agrees with our measured area of 400,000 km², to within 2%.
Similar in size to California
Similar in size to Paraguay
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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