North Carolina is 1.62× the size of Hokkaido (Japan)

North Carolina (state of the United States) covers about 128,000 km² (49,300 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.

128,000km²North Carolina
78,800km²Hokkaido (Japan)

200 km

North Carolina
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 62% of the size of North Carolina.
North Carolina is larger by 48,900 km² (18,900 mi²), which is 62% of the area of Hokkaido (Japan).
Measured in Belgiums: North Carolina is about 4.16, Hokkaido (Japan) about 2.57.

How they differ

North Carolina also has the larger population: 10.4 million against 5.4 million, 1.92× as many people.
Per square kilometre that is 82 in North Carolina against 69 in Hokkaido (Japan): North Carolina is 1.19× as densely populated.
Their centres are about 10,300 km apart.
A standard web map misstates the comparison: North Carolina at 36°N is drawn about 1.5× too large and Hokkaido (Japan) at 43°N about 1.9×, so the map shows North Carolina as 1.29× the size of Hokkaido (Japan) instead of 1.62×.
Together North Carolina and Hokkaido (Japan) cover 206,000 km², close to the size of Belarus (207,000 km², 0.5% bigger).
The gap between them, 48,900 km², is about the size of Slovakia (48,500 km²).
At Hokkaido (Japan)'s density, North Carolina would have 8.8 million people (it has 10.4 million). At North Carolina's density, Hokkaido (Japan) would have 6.4 million (it has 5.4 million).
Hokkaido (Japan)'s centre is 7.8° of latitude, about 870 km, farther north than North Carolina's.
North Carolina is the 30th largest of the 51 states and districts of the United States and covers 1.3% of its area; it is the 16th 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 8° of latitude (roughly 869 km) north of North Carolina.
Shared out evenly, each person in North Carolina would have about 12,230 m² and each person in Hokkaido (Japan) about 14,500 m².
Laid side by side, North Carolina and Hokkaido (Japan) would cover 206,000 km², about the same size as Belarus.
Together they have 15.9 million people, 1.05× as many people as Zimbabwe.

Side by side

	North Carolina	Hokkaido (Japan)
Is a	StateUnited States	PrefectureJapan
Area, measured	128,000 km²49,300 mi²	78,800 km²30,400 mi²
Official area	139,000 km²Wikidata	83,400 km²Wikidata
Rank by area	30th of 51in the United States	1st of 47in Japan
Population	10.4 millionWikidata, 2020	5.4 millionWikidata, 2014
Rank by population	9th of 51in the United States	8th of 47in Japan
Density	82 per km²	69 per km²
Capital	Raleigh	Sapporo
Latitude range	34°N to 37°N	41°N to 46°N

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

Our measured 128,000 km² is 8.4% below Wikidata's official figure of 139,000 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 North Carolina

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