How Big is Turkey Compared to the United States?

Turkey and the United States are two countries that differ greatly in size. With the United States being much larger in total land area. But to truly comprehend the size difference, it helps to look at it visually.

The Important Stats

Let’s first look at some of the key facts and figures:

• Turkey’s geographic coordinates are 39 00 N 35 00 E

• The United States’ geographic coordinates are 38 00 N 97 00 W

• Turkey has an area of 769,630 sq km. This makes it the 35th largest country in the world by land area.

• The United States has an area of 9.16 million sq km. Making it the 3rd largest country in the world.

• The United States is over 12 times larger than Turkey in total land area.

• Turkey has 300,948 square miles of area. Ranking it 11th in the world.

• The United States has 3.8 million square miles of area. Ranking 2nd only behind Russia.

• Again, the United States has over 13 times more square miles than Turkey.

So just looking at the numbers, it’s clear the United States dwarfs Turkey significantly in sheer size and land area. But numbers can only tell us so much. Let’s look at some visual comparisons to really drive the point home.

Side-by-Side Map Overlay

One of the best ways to compare country sizes is to physically overlay their outlines on a map. Here is Turkey overlayed directly on a map of the United States:

[MAP IMAGE]

This side-by-side overlay demonstrates vividly just how much larger the US is than Turkey. Turkey takes up only a small portion of the southwestern United States. You could fit almost 13 Turkeys inside the United States’ total land boundaries.

What’s also apparent is that Turkey is dwarfed by Alaska alone. Turkey would comfortably fit inside just Alaska, with room to spare.

Comparing Landmarks

Another way to conceptualize the size difference is looking at it in terms of major landmarks:

• Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, has a population of 15 million. The entire population could fit inside New York City’s boundaries.

• Turkey’s total area is slightly smaller than the state of Texas.

• Turkey would stretch from Chicago to Miami if centered in the United States.

• The distance from Istanbul to Ankara is equal to the distance from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.

So in terms of notable landmarks and cities, Turkey is comparable to a portion of the Eastern United States rather than the entire country.

A Look at Population Density

It’s not just total land area where the two countries differ. There is also a major difference in population size and density.

• The United States has a population of 331 million. Turkey has a population of 84 million.

• So the US has nearly 4 times as many people.

• But Turkey’s population density is 104 people per square km, versus just 36 for the United States.

• So Turkey packs more than double the population density of the United States.

This shows that while Turkey is much smaller in total area, it crams more people into the area it does have. Much of the interior United States is sparsely populated in comparison.

Looking at the numbers and the visual comparisons, it is abundantly clear that the United States dwarfs Turkey significantly in total land area and geographic size.

Turkey would fit comfortably inside the United States over 12 times. It is comparable in size to individual US states like Texas, or portions of the Eastern United States.

So while Turkey occupies an important geopolitical position, it is nowhere near the sheer massive size of the United States in a direct geographic comparison. The United States is truly in a league of its own when it comes to land area among world countries.