Start with a familiar reference
Square kilometres are precise but not always memorable. Choose Taiwan, Penghu or another familiar place first, then read the unfamiliar place as a multiple or share of that reference.
Comparison directory
All geographic comparisons: countries, regions and islands
Browse every Joelin Atlas comparison of countries, regions, islands and archipelagos, with area, population, density, dates and scope.
- Comparison guides
- 29
- Place profiles
- 27
- Metrics per guide
- 3
How to choose a comparison
A useful geographic comparison starts with reference and scope
Confirm the geographic unit
Countries, special regions, prefectures, cities, individual islands and archipelagos cannot be inferred from the name alone. Cards show the type; full guides state boundary, population system and date.
Read density last
Average density divides total reported population by total land. It helps compare settlement scale, but it is not the crowding of every neighbourhood or a measure of housing, transport or developable land.
Countries and regions
Use Taiwan to understand the scale of East Asia
These guides cover countries, a special administrative region and an island prefecture. Each page states its boundary so a capital, metro area or main island is not mistaken for the full territory.
Country · Country
Japan vs Taiwan
Japan covers much more land than Taiwan and has a larger population, while Taiwan has the higher average density. Compare both outlines and statistics.
- Area
- 10.4×
- Population
- 5.3×
- Density
- 50.7%
Region · Country
Hokkaido vs Taiwan
One Japanese prefecture covers more than twice Taiwan’s administrative land while holding about a fifth of its population, which leaves Hokkaido with far more land per resident.
- Area
- 2.2×
- Population
- 21.6%
- Density
- 9.9%
Region · Country
Okinawa Prefecture vs Taiwan
Okinawa Prefecture is much smaller than Taiwan, yet the two have a remarkably similar overall population density.
- Area
- 6.3%
- Population
- 6.3%
- Density
- 99.4%
Region · Country
Hong Kong vs Taiwan
Hong Kong holds a substantial population in a small fraction of Taiwan’s land area, producing a much higher overall density.
- Area
- 3.1%
- Population
- 32.2%
- Density
- 10.5×
Country · Region
Singapore vs Hong Kong
Singapore has about two thirds of Hong Kong’s land and about four fifths of its residents, so its average density is the higher of the two.
- Area
- 66.8%
- Population
- 81.1%
- Density
- 1.2×
Region · Region
Macao vs Hong Kong
Macao occupies about three per cent of Hong Kong’s land with about nine per cent of its residents, giving it roughly three times Hong Kong’s average density.
- Area
- 3%
- Population
- 9.1%
- Density
- 3×
Country · Country
South Korea vs Taiwan
South Korea is larger than Taiwan in both land area and population, while its national average population density is lower.
- Area
- 2.8×
- Population
- 2.2×
- Density
- 79.8%
Islands and archipelagos
Similar island names can hide very different boundaries
Miyako and Ishigaki use single-island boundaries, while Penghu uses the full county archipelago. Read the scope before interpreting area, population and density.
Island · Island
Okinawa Main Island vs Taiwan Main Island
Okinawa Main Island covers a small fraction of Taiwan Main Island but is settled far more densely. Both sides are physical islands, so the outlines and the figures describe the same kind of object.
- Area
- 3.4%
- Population
- 5.9%
- Density
- 1.7×
Island · Island
Hainan Island vs Taiwan Main Island
The two islands are close in land area, but Hainan holds under half as many people, so its average density is about half of Taiwan Main Island’s.
- Area
- 94.7%
- Population
- 45.7%
- Density
- 48.3%
Region · County
Jeju Province vs Penghu County
Jeju Province has many times Penghu County’s land and several times its residents, while Penghu remains the more densely settled of the two.
- Area
- 14.5×
- Population
- 6.3×
- Density
- 43.3%
Island · County
Okinawa Main Island vs Penghu County
Okinawa Main Island has several times the land of the whole Penghu County archipelago and many times its population, but the two arrange that land very differently.
- Area
- 9.4×
- Population
- 12.5×
- Density
- 1.3×
Island · County
Miyako Island vs Penghu County
Miyako Island has more land than Penghu County but far fewer residents, creating a clear difference in average density.
- Area
- 1.2×
- Population
- 46.5%
- Density
- 37.6%
Island · County
Ishigaki Island vs Penghu County
Ishigaki Island has more land than Penghu County but fewer registered Japanese-national residents than Penghu’s registered population.
- Area
- 1.7×
- Population
- 45.8%
- Density
- 26.4%
County · Country
Penghu County vs Taiwan
Penghu County represents a small share of Taiwan’s land and registered population, with its county archipelago measured as one whole.
- Area
- 0.4%
- Population
- 0.5%
- Density
- 1.3×
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