How Big is Turkey Compared to the United States?

The United States is a massive country, the third largest in the world by land area. With a total area of 3,796,742 square miles (9,833,520 sq km), it spans across North America between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Its sheer size can be hard to comprehend. So how does it compare in size to other countries? Specifically, how big is Turkey compared to the United States?

Putting Turkey and the US on the Map

To get a true sense of the difference in size between Turkey and the US, it helps to visualize them on a map together When overlaid on a map, it becomes clear that Turkey, while large in its own right, is dwarfed by the massive expanse of the United States.

Some key facts

• The total land area of Turkey is 302535 square miles (783562 sq km), making it the 37th largest country in the world.

• In comparison, the United States is nearly 13 times bigger.

• Turkey would fit neatly within the US, with room to spare.

• Stretched across the US map, Turkey extends from Maine to South Carolina.

• The US states of Texas, California and Montana each exceed Turkey’s total area individually.

How the Populations Compare

In addition to differences in sheer land size, Turkey and the US also differ markedly in population:

• Turkey has a population of about 84 million people, ranking it 18th in the world.

• The population of the US is approximately 332 million, placing it 3rd behind only China and India.

• So while Turkey is only 1/13th the size of the US geographically, it has over 1/4 the population.

• This means Turkey’s population density is over 4 times higher than the United States.

Regions of Turkey Overlaid on the US Map

Looking at Turkey’s main geographical regions overlaid on a map of the US gives a more detailed perspective:

• Turkey’s Aegean Region covers an area comparable to New England. This region contains the important port cities of Izmir and Bodrum.

• Central Anatolia, home to the capital Ankara, is about the size of Wyoming.

• The Black Sea Region that borders the Black Sea is approximately equal to the size of Louisiana.

• Eastern Anatolia, stretching to the Armenian border, is similar in size to New Mexico.

• The Marmara Region, containing Istanbul, equates to only Vermont and New Hampshire combined.

• The Mediterranean Region lining the southern coast would reach from Georgia to North Carolina.

How Travel Distances Compare

The massive size of the US also means travel distances are huge compared to Turkey:

• Driving across Turkey from east to west would take around 18 hours.

• Driving across the United States on I-90 would take over 4 days non-stop.

• The flight from Istanbul to the capital Ankara takes 1 hour. From New York City to Washington DC is just under 1.5 hours.

• A flight from one side of Turkey to the other is about 2 hours. Coast-to-coast in the lower 48 states is around 6 hours.