Iraq is 1.08× the size of Gansu

Iraq (Asia) covers about 437,000 km² (169,000 mi²) and Gansu (province of China) about 406,000 km² (157,000 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.

437,000km²Iraq
406,000km²Gansu

200 km

Iraq
Gansu

What fits

Gansu is 93% of the size of Iraq.
Iraq is larger by 31,800 km² (12,300 mi²), which is 7.8% of the area of Gansu.
Measured in Belgiums: Iraq is about 14.3, Gansu about 13.2.

How they differ

Iraq also has the larger population: 38.3 million against 25.0 million, 1.53× as many people.
Per square kilometre that is 88 in Iraq against 62 in Gansu: Iraq is 1.42× as densely populated.
Their centres are about 5,150 km apart.
On a standard web map Gansu looks larger than Iraq: Iraq at 33°N is drawn about 1.4× too large and Gansu at 38°N about 1.6×, so the map shows Gansu as 1.04× the size of Iraq, when Iraq is 1.08× the size of Gansu.
Together Iraq and Gansu cover 843,000 km², close to the size of Namibia (823,000 km², 2.4% smaller).
The gap between them, 31,800 km², is about the size of Guinea-Bissau (32,800 km²).
At Gansu's density, Iraq would have 27.0 million people (it has 38.3 million). At Iraq's density, Gansu would have 35.5 million (it has 25.0 million).
Gansu's centre is 4.8° of latitude, about 530 km, farther north than Iraq's.
Iraq ranks 60th of 246 countries and territories by area.
Gansu is the 7th largest of the 31 provinces and regions of China and covers 4.3% of its area; it is the 27th most densely populated of them.
Gansu lies about 5° of latitude (roughly 534 km) north of Iraq.
Shared out evenly, each person in Iraq would have about 11,430 m² and each person in Gansu about 16,210 m².
Laid side by side, Iraq and Gansu would cover 843,000 km², about the same size as Namibia.
Together they have 63.3 million people, about as many people as South Africa.
Counted as a country, Gansu would rank 60th by area and 56th by population.

Side by side

	Iraq	Gansu
Is a	CountryAsia	ProvinceChina
Area, measured	437,000 km²169,000 mi²	406,000 km²157,000 mi²
Official area	437,000 km²Wikidata	454,000 km²Wikidata
Rank by area	59th of 239worldwide	7th of 31in China
Population	38.3 millionWikidata, 2017	25.0 millionWikidata, 2020
Rank by population	37th of 237worldwide	22nd of 31in China
Density	88 per km²	62 per km²
Capital	Baghdad	Lanzhou
Latitude range	29°N to 37°N	33°N to 43°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 406,000 km² is 11% below Wikidata's official figure of 454,000 km². Official figures can include inland water or count land that an outline draws differently. This difference is flagged for review.

Similar in size to Iraq

Similar in size to Gansu

More comparisons

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

Full method