Mongolia is 10.8× the size of Iowa
Mongolia (Asia) covers about 1,565,000 km² (604,000 mi²) and Iowa (state of the United States) about 145,000 km² (56,200 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.
- 1,565,000km²Mongolia
- 145,000km²Iowa
500 km
- Mongolia
- Iowa
What fits
- Iowa fits inside Mongolia about 10.8 times by area.
- Mongolia is larger by 1,419,000 km² (548,000 mi²), which is 976% of the area of Iowa.
- Measured in Belgiums: Mongolia is about 51.0, Iowa about 4.74.
How they differ
- Mongolia also has the larger population: 3.4 million against 3.2 million, 1.07× as many people.
- Per square kilometre that is 22 in Iowa against 2.2 in Mongolia: Iowa is 10.1× as densely populated.
- Their centres are about 9,980 km apart.
- A standard web map misstates the comparison: Mongolia at 47°N is drawn about 2.1× too large and Iowa at 42°N about 1.8×, so the map shows Mongolia as 12.7× the size of Iowa instead of 10.8×.
- Together Mongolia and Iowa cover 1,710,000 km², close to the size of Libya (1,624,000 km², 5.0% smaller).
- The gap between them, 1,419,000 km², is about the size of Peru (1,290,000 km²).
- At Iowa's density, Mongolia would have 34.3 million people (it has 3.4 million). At Mongolia's density, Iowa would have 317,000 (it has 3.2 million).
- Mongolia's centre is 4.9° of latitude, about 540 km, farther north than Iowa's.
- Mongolia ranks 20th of 246 countries and territories by area.
- Iowa is the 26th largest of the 51 states and districts of the United States and covers 1.5% of its area; it is the 35th most densely populated of them.
- Mongolia lies about 5° of latitude (roughly 542 km) north of Iowa.
- Shared out evenly, each person in Mongolia would have about 458,850 m² and each person in Iowa about 45,590 m².
- Laid side by side, Mongolia and Iowa would cover 1,710,000 km², 1.05× the size of Libya.
- Together they have 6.6 million people, about as many people as Serbia.
- Counted as a country, Iowa would rank 94th by area and 137th by population.
Side by side
| Mongolia | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|
| Is a | CountryAsia | StateUnited States |
| Area, measured | 1,565,000 km²604,000 mi² | 145,000 km²56,200 mi² |
| Official area | 1,564,000 km²Wikidata | 146,000 km²Wikidata |
| Rank by area | 19th of 239worldwide | 26th of 51in the United States |
| Population | 3.4 millionWikidata, 2021 | 3.2 millionWikidata, 2020 |
| Rank by population | 135th of 237worldwide | 31st of 51in the United States |
| Density | 2.2 per km² | 22 per km² |
| Capital | Ulaanbaatar | Des Moines |
| Latitude range | 42°N to 52°N | 40°N to 44°N |
Population: Wikidata 2021 and Wikidata 2020. Official figures: Wikidata (CC0).
- Wikidata's official figure of 1,564,000 km² agrees with our measured area of 1,565,000 km², to within 2%.
- Wikidata's official figure of 146,000 km² agrees with our measured area of 145,000 km², to within 2%.
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Similar in size to Iowa
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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