Louisiana is 1.52× the size of Hokkaido (Japan)

Louisiana (state of the United States) covers about 120,000 km² (46,200 mi²) and Hokkaido (Japan) (prefecture of Japan) about 78,800 km² (30,400 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.

120,000km²Louisiana
78,800km²Hokkaido (Japan)

100 km

Louisiana
Hokkaido (Japan)

Hokkaido (Japan): Part of this region's boundary is disputed with Russia. Size Versus draws Natural Earth's de facto outline, the boundary as it is held on the ground, and takes no position on it.

What fits

Hokkaido (Japan) is 66% of the size of Louisiana.
Louisiana is larger by 40,800 km² (15,700 mi²), which is 52% of the area of Hokkaido (Japan).
Measured in Belgiums: Louisiana is about 3.90, Hokkaido (Japan) about 2.57.

How they differ

Louisiana is larger, but Hokkaido (Japan) has the larger population: 5.4 million against 4.7 million, 1.17× as many people.
Per square kilometre that is 69 in Hokkaido (Japan) against 39 in Louisiana: Hokkaido (Japan) is 1.77× as densely populated.
Their centres are about 10,000 km apart.
A standard web map misstates the comparison: Louisiana at 31°N is drawn about 1.4× too large and Hokkaido (Japan) at 43°N about 1.9×, so the map shows Louisiana as 1.09× the size of Hokkaido (Japan) instead of 1.52×.
Together Louisiana and Hokkaido (Japan) cover 198,000 km², close to the size of Kyrgyzstan (199,000 km², 0.3% bigger).
The gap between them, 40,800 km², is about the size of Bhutan (40,400 km²).
At Hokkaido (Japan)'s density, Louisiana would have 8.2 million people (it has 4.7 million). At Louisiana's density, Hokkaido (Japan) would have 3.1 million (it has 5.4 million).
Hokkaido (Japan)'s centre is 12.3° of latitude, about 1,370 km, farther north than Louisiana's.
Louisiana is the 32nd largest of the 51 states and districts of the United States and covers 1.3% of its area; it is the 26th most densely populated of them.
Hokkaido (Japan) is the largest of the 47 prefectures of Japan and covers 21% of its area; it is the 47th most densely populated of them.
Hokkaido (Japan) lies about 12° of latitude (roughly 1,370 km) north of Louisiana.
Shared out evenly, each person in Louisiana would have about 25,670 m² and each person in Hokkaido (Japan) about 14,500 m².
Laid side by side, Louisiana and Hokkaido (Japan) would cover 198,000 km², about the same size as Kyrgyzstan.
Together they have 10.1 million people, about as many people as Azerbaijan.

Side by side

	Louisiana	Hokkaido (Japan)
Is a	StateUnited States	PrefectureJapan
Area, measured	120,000 km²46,200 mi²	78,800 km²30,400 mi²
Official area	135,000 km²Wikidata	83,400 km²Wikidata
Rank by area	32nd of 51in the United States	1st of 47in Japan
Population	4.7 millionWikidata, 2020	5.4 millionWikidata, 2014
Rank by population	25th of 51in the United States	8th of 47in Japan
Density	39 per km²	69 per km²
Capital	Baton Rouge	Sapporo
Latitude range	29°N to 33°N	41°N to 46°N

Population: Wikidata 2020 and Wikidata 2014. Official figures: Wikidata (CC0).

Our measured 120,000 km² is 12% below Wikidata's official figure of 135,000 km². Official figures can include inland water or count land that an outline draws differently. This difference is flagged for review.
Our measured 78,800 km² is 5.6% below Wikidata's official figure of 83,400 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 Louisiana

Similar in size to Hokkaido (Japan)

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