Iwate and Schleswig-Holstein are almost exactly the same size
Iwate (prefecture of Japan) covers about 15,500 km² (5,970 mi²) and Schleswig-Holstein (state of Germany) about 15,400 km² (5,960 mi²). Their outlines are laid over each other below at one scale.
- 15,500km²Iwate
- 15,400km²Schleswig-Holstein
50 km
- Iwate
- Schleswig-Holstein
What fits
- Schleswig-Holstein is 100% of the size of Iwate.
- The measured areas differ by 37.4 km², less than half a percent: closer than the measurement itself is certain.
- Measured in Belgiums: Iwate is about 0.50, Schleswig-Holstein about 0.50.
How they differ
- Iwate is larger, but Schleswig-Holstein has the larger population: 3.0 million against 1.2 million, 2.45× as many people.
- Per square kilometre that is 191 in Schleswig-Holstein against 78 in Iwate: Schleswig-Holstein is 2.46× as densely populated.
- Their centres are about 8,610 km apart.
- On a standard web map Schleswig-Holstein looks larger than Iwate: Iwate at 40°N is drawn about 1.7× too large and Schleswig-Holstein at 54°N about 2.9×, so the map shows Schleswig-Holstein as 1.73× the size of Iwate, when Iwate is 1.00× the size of Schleswig-Holstein.
- Together Iwate and Schleswig-Holstein cover 30,900 km², close to the size of Belgium (30,700 km², 0.8% smaller).
- At Schleswig-Holstein's density, Iwate would have 3.0 million people (it has 1.2 million). At Iwate's density, Schleswig-Holstein would have 1.2 million (it has 3.0 million).
- Schleswig-Holstein's centre is 14.6° of latitude, about 1,620 km, farther north than Iwate's.
- 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.
- Schleswig-Holstein is the 12th largest of the 16 states of Germany and covers 4.3% of its area; it is the 10th most densely populated of them.
- Schleswig-Holstein lies about 15° of latitude (roughly 1,620 km) north of Iwate.
- Shared out evenly, each person in Iwate would have about 12,830 m² and each person in Schleswig-Holstein about 5,230 m².
- Laid side by side, Iwate and Schleswig-Holstein would cover 30,900 km², about the same size as Belgium.
- Together they have 4.2 million people, 1.06× as many people as Georgia.
Side by side
| Iwate | Schleswig-Holstein | |
|---|---|---|
| Is a | PrefectureJapan | StateGermany |
| Area, measured | 15,500 km²5,970 mi² | 15,400 km²5,960 mi² |
| Official area | 15,300 km²Wikidata | 15,800 km²Wikidata |
| Rank by area | 2nd of 47in Japan | 12th of 16in Germany |
| Population | 1.2 millionWikidata, 2021 | 3.0 millionWikidata, 2022 |
| Rank by population | 32nd of 47in Japan | 9th of 16in Germany |
| Density | 78 per km² | 191 per km² |
| Capital | Morioka | Kiel |
| Latitude range | 39°N to 40°N | 53°N to 55°N |
Population: Wikidata 2021 and Wikidata 2022. Official figures: Wikidata (CC0).
- Wikidata's official figure of 15,300 km² agrees with our measured area of 15,500 km², to within 2%.
- Our measured 15,400 km² is 2.3% below Wikidata's official figure of 15,800 km². Official figures can include inland water or count land that an outline draws differently.
Similar in size to Iwate
Similar in size to Schleswig-Holstein
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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