French Guiana is 1.04× the size of South Carolina

French Guiana (overseas region of France) covers about 83,200 km² (32,100 mi²) and South Carolina (state of the United States) about 80,200 km² (31,000 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.

83,200km²French Guiana
80,200km²South Carolina

100 km

French Guiana
South Carolina

What fits

South Carolina is 96% of the size of French Guiana.
French Guiana is larger by 3,020 km² (1,170 mi²), which is 3.8% of the area of South Carolina.
Measured in Belgiums: French Guiana is about 2.71, South Carolina about 2.61.

How they differ

French Guiana is larger, but South Carolina has the larger population: 5.1 million against 288,000, 17.7× as many people.
Per square kilometre that is 64 in South Carolina against 3.5 in French Guiana: South Carolina is 18.4× as densely populated.
Their centres are about 4,390 km apart.
On a standard web map South Carolina looks larger than French Guiana: French Guiana at 4°N is drawn about 1.0× too large and South Carolina at 34°N about 1.5×, so the map shows South Carolina as 1.39× the size of French Guiana, when French Guiana is 1.04× the size of South Carolina.
Together French Guiana and South Carolina cover 163,000 km², close to the size of Somaliland (167,000 km², 2.5% bigger).
The gap between them, 3,020 km², is about the size of Samoa (2,780 km²).
At South Carolina's density, French Guiana would have 5.3 million people (it has 288,000). At French Guiana's density, South Carolina would have 278,000 (it has 5.1 million).
South Carolina's centre is 30.0° of latitude, about 3,340 km, farther north than French Guiana's.
French Guiana is the 2nd largest of the 18 regions of France and covers 13% of its area; it is the 18th most densely populated of them.
South Carolina is the 40th largest of the 51 states and districts of the United States and covers 0.8% of its area; it is the 19th most densely populated of them.
South Carolina lies about 30° of latitude (roughly 3,340 km) north of French Guiana.
Shared out evenly, each person in French Guiana would have about 288,450 m² and each person in South Carolina about 15,660 m².
Laid side by side, French Guiana and South Carolina would cover 163,000 km², 1.04× the size of Tunisia.
Together they have 5.4 million people, about as many people as Slovakia.

Side by side

	French Guiana	South Carolina
Is a	Overseas regionFrance	StateUnited States
Area, measured	83,200 km²32,100 mi²	80,200 km²31,000 mi²
Official area	83,500 km²Wikidata	82,900 km²Wikidata
Rank by area	2nd of 18in France	40th of 51in the United States
Population	288,000Wikidata, 2022	5.1 millionWikidata, 2020
Rank by population	18th of 18in France	23rd of 51in the United States
Density	3.5 per km²	64 per km²
Capital	Cayenne	Columbia
Latitude range	2°N to 6°N	32°N to 35°N

Population: Wikidata 2022 and Wikidata 2020. Official figures: Wikidata (CC0).

Wikidata's official figure of 83,500 km² agrees with our measured area of 83,200 km², to within 2%.
Our measured 80,200 km² is 3.3% below Wikidata's official figure of 82,900 km². Official figures can include inland water or count land that an outline draws differently.

Similar in size to French Guiana

Similar in size to South Carolina

More comparisons

Sources and method

Outlines: Natural Earth, 1:10m Admin 1 - States, Provinces, 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

Full method