Iraq is 1.07× the size of California
Iraq (Asia) covers about 437,000 km² (169,000 mi²) and California (state of the United States) about 410,000 km² (158,000 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.
- 437,000km²Iraq
- 410,000km²California
200 km
- Iraq
- California
What fits
- California is 94% of the size of Iraq.
- Iraq is larger by 27,600 km² (10,700 mi²), which is 6.7% of the area of California.
- Measured in Belgiums: Iraq is about 14.3, California about 13.4.
How they differ
- Iraq is larger, but California has the larger population: 39.5 million against 38.3 million, 1.03× as many people.
- Per square kilometre that is 96 in California against 88 in Iraq: California is 1.10× as densely populated.
- Their centres are about 12,000 km apart.
- On a standard web map California looks larger than Iraq: Iraq at 33°N is drawn about 1.4× too large and California at 37°N about 1.6×, so the map shows California as 1.04× the size of Iraq, when Iraq is 1.07× the size of California.
- Together Iraq and California cover 847,000 km², close to the size of Namibia (823,000 km², 2.9% smaller).
- The gap between them, 27,600 km², is about the size of Solomon Islands (27,200 km²).
- At California's density, Iraq would have 42.2 million people (it has 38.3 million). At Iraq's density, California would have 35.9 million (it has 39.5 million).
- California's centre is 4.2° of latitude, about 460 km, farther north than Iraq's.
- Iraq ranks 60th of 246 countries and territories by area.
- 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.
- California lies about 4° of latitude (roughly 464 km) north of Iraq.
- Shared out evenly, each person in Iraq would have about 11,430 m² and each person in California about 10,360 m².
- Laid side by side, Iraq and California would cover 847,000 km², about the same size as Namibia.
- Together they have 77.8 million people, 93% as many people as Germany.
- Counted as a country, California would rank 60th by area and 37th by population.
Side by side
| Iraq | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Is a | CountryAsia | StateUnited States |
| Area, measured | 437,000 km²169,000 mi² | 410,000 km²158,000 mi² |
| Official area | 437,000 km²Wikidata | 424,000 km²Wikidata |
| Rank by area | 59th of 239worldwide | 3rd of 51in the United States |
| Population | 38.3 millionWikidata, 2017 | 39.5 millionWikidata, 2020 |
| Rank by population | 37th of 237worldwide | 1st of 51in the United States |
| Density | 88 per km² | 96 per km² |
| Capital | Baghdad | Sacramento |
| Latitude range | 29°N to 37°N | 33°N to 42°N |
Population: Wikidata 2017 and Wikidata 2020. Official figures: Wikidata (CC0).
- Wikidata's official figure of 437,000 km² agrees with our measured area of 437,000 km², to within 2%.
- 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.
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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