Shiga is 1.55× the size of Réunion (France)

Shiga (prefecture of Japan) covers about 4,010 km² (1,550 mi²) and Réunion (France) (overseas region of France) about 2,580 km² (997 mi²). Below, both outlines are drawn at one scale and centred on each other.

4,010km²Shiga
2,580km²Réunion (France)

20 km

Shiga
Réunion (France)

What fits

Réunion (France) is 64% of the size of Shiga.
Shiga is larger by 1,430 km² (551 mi²), which is 55% of the area of Réunion (France).
Measured in Belgiums: Shiga is about 0.13, Réunion (France) about 0.08.

How they differ

Shiga also has the larger population: 1.4 million against 881,000, 1.60× as many people.
Per square kilometre that is 352 in Shiga against 341 in Réunion (France): Shiga is 1.03× as densely populated.
Their centres are about 10,500 km apart.
A standard web map misstates the comparison: Shiga at 35°N is drawn about 1.5× too large and Réunion (France) at 21°S about 1.1×, so the map shows Shiga as 2.02× the size of Réunion (France) instead of 1.55×.
Together Shiga and Réunion (France) cover 6,590 km², close to the size of Palestine (6,070 km², 7.8% smaller).
The gap between them, 1,430 km², is about the size of Comoros (1,670 km²).
At Réunion (France)'s density, Shiga would have 1.4 million people (it has 1.4 million). At Shiga's density, Réunion (France) would have 909,000 (it has 881,000).
Shiga's centre is 56.3° of latitude, about 6,260 km, farther north than Réunion (France)'s.
Shiga is the 37th largest of the 47 prefectures of Japan and covers 1.1% of its area; it is the 14th most densely populated of them.
Réunion (France) is the 15th largest of the 18 regions of France and covers 0.4% of its area; it is the 3rd most densely populated of them.
Shiga lies about 56° of latitude (roughly 6,260 km) north of Réunion (France), on the other side of the equator.
Shared out evenly, each person in Shiga would have about 2,840 m² and each person in Réunion (France) about 2,930 m².
Laid side by side, Shiga and Réunion (France) would cover 6,590 km², 1.15× the size of Brunei.
Together they have 2.3 million people, 95% as many people as Moldova.

Side by side

	Shiga	Réunion (France)
Is a	PrefectureJapan	Overseas regionFrance
Area, measured	4,010 km²1,550 mi²	2,580 km²997 mi²
Official area	4,020 km²Wikidata	2,510 km²Wikidata
Rank by area	37th of 47in Japan	15th of 18in France
Population	1.4 millionWikidata, 2021	881,000Wikidata, 2022
Rank by population	26th of 47in Japan	13th of 18in France
Density	352 per km²	341 per km²
Capital	Otsu	Saint-Denis
Latitude range	35°N to 36°N	21°S to 21°S

Population: Wikidata 2021 and Wikidata 2022. Official figures: Wikidata (CC0).

Wikidata's official figure of 4,020 km² agrees with our measured area of 4,010 km², to within 2%.
Our measured 2,580 km² is 2.8% above Wikidata's official figure of 2,510 km². Official figures can include inland water or count land that an outline draws differently.

Similar in size to Shiga

Similar in size to Réunion (France)

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