Paraíba is 1.08× the size of Ningxia

Paraíba (state of Brazil) covers about 56,500 km² (21,800 mi²) and Ningxia (autonomous region of China) about 52,100 km² (20,100 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.

56,500km²Paraíba
52,100km²Ningxia

100 km

Paraíba
Ningxia

What fits

Ningxia is 92% of the size of Paraíba.
Paraíba is larger by 4,380 km² (1,690 mi²), which is 8.4% of the area of Ningxia.
Measured in Belgiums: Paraíba is about 1.84, Ningxia about 1.70.

How they differ

Paraíba is larger, but Ningxia has the larger population: 7.2 million against 4.0 million, 1.81× as many people.
Per square kilometre that is 138 in Ningxia against 70 in Paraíba: Ningxia is 1.96× as densely populated.
Their centres are about 15,000 km apart.
On a standard web map Ningxia looks larger than Paraíba: Paraíba at 7°S is drawn about 1.0× too large and Ningxia at 37°N about 1.6×, so the map shows Ningxia as 1.43× the size of Paraíba, when Paraíba is 1.08× the size of Ningxia.
Together Paraíba and Ningxia cover 109,000 km², close to the size of Guatemala (109,000 km², 0.1% bigger).
The gap between them, 4,380 km², is about the size of Cape Verde (3,930 km²).
At Ningxia's density, Paraíba would have 7.8 million people (it has 4.0 million). At Paraíba's density, Ningxia would have 3.7 million (it has 7.2 million).
Ningxia's centre is 44.4° of latitude, about 4,930 km, farther north than Paraíba's.
Paraíba is the 21st largest of the 27 states and districts of Brazil and covers 0.7% of its area; it is the 9th most densely populated of them.
Ningxia is the 27th largest of the 31 provinces and regions of China and covers 0.6% of its area; it is the 23rd most densely populated of them.
Ningxia lies about 44° of latitude (roughly 4,930 km) north of Paraíba, on the other side of the equator.
Shared out evenly, each person in Paraíba would have about 14,220 m² and each person in Ningxia about 7,240 m².
Laid side by side, Paraíba and Ningxia would cover 109,000 km², about the same size as Guatemala.
Together they have 11.2 million people, about as many people as Somalia.

Side by side

	Paraíba	Ningxia
Is a	StateBrazil	Autonomous RegionChina
Area, measured	56,500 km²21,800 mi²	52,100 km²20,100 mi²
Official area	56,600 km²Wikidata	52,200 km²Wikidata
Rank by area	21st of 27in Brazil	27th of 31in China
Population	4.0 millionWikidata, 2022	7.2 millionWikidata, 2020
Rank by population	13th of 27in Brazil	29th of 31in China
Density	70 per km²	138 per km²
Capital	João Pessoa	Yinchuan
Latitude range	8°S to 6°S	35°N to 39°N

Population: Wikidata 2022 and Wikidata 2020. Official figures: Wikidata (CC0).

Wikidata's official figure of 56,600 km² agrees with our measured area of 56,500 km², to within 2%.
Wikidata's official figure of 52,200 km² agrees with our measured area of 52,100 km², to within 2%.

Similar in size to Paraíba

Similar in size to Ningxia

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