Iceland vs United Kingdom
United Kingdom is 2.35 times larger than Iceland. Iceland would fit into United Kingdom about 2.4 times.
IcelandUnited KingdomIceland moved onto United Kingdom · Equal-area projection
0.42×
Iceland is 0.42× the area of United Kingdom. Put the other way, United Kingdom is 2.35× the size of Iceland.
| Iceland | United Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 103,004 km² | 242,495 km² |
| Population | 392,404 | 69,487,000 |
| Density | 3.8 / km² | 287 / km² |
| Capital | Reykjavik | London |
| Region | Northern Europe | Northern Europe |
| Coastline | Has a coast | Has a coast |
| Neighbours | 0 | 1 |
Why the map you grew up with disagrees
On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Iceland sits at about 65°N and is stretched to 5.6× its true area; United Kingdom at 54° N is stretched to 2.9×. That difference is why Iceland looks so much bigger than it is next to United Kingdom. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Questions about this pair
- Is Iceland bigger than United Kingdom?
- No. Iceland is 2.35 times smaller than United Kingdom. Iceland covers 103,004 km² and United Kingdom covers 242,495 km².
- How many times does Iceland fit into United Kingdom?
- About 2.4 times: United Kingdom has 2.35× the area of Iceland.
- Why do Iceland and United Kingdom look different on Google Maps?
- Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Iceland is drawn about 5.6× its true area there and United Kingdom about 2.9×. That is why Iceland looks so much bigger than it really is next to United Kingdom. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
- Which has more people, Iceland or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom: 69,487,000 people against 392,404. Density: Iceland 3.8 per km², United Kingdom 287 per km².