California is famous for being a gigantic state (the third-largest of the United States). However, when compared to one of the largest countries in the world, we may find out that it’s not that big. Fun exercise, right? So it’s time to check: is Brazil bigger than California?
Brazil is bigger than California. Actually, Brazil is even bigger than the contiguous United States (the US without Alaska and Hawaii). The total area of California is 162,696 mi², while the full size of Brazil is 3,287,956 mi². It means that Brazil is about 21 times bigger than California.
California is far from being a small state. One of the largest of the US, losing only to Alaska and Texas (of course). But Brazil is one of the biggest countries on Earth, comparable to the continent and even more extensive than Oceania. To learn more about the total area of Brazil and California and a visual comparison of both places, read on.
Brazil Is (Way) Bigger Than California (Infographic)

Brazil Has A Continental Size
Brazil is a gigantic country with continental dimensions. Its total area is 3,287,956 mi² (8,515,767 km2). It’s the fifth-largest country in the world losing only to the United States, China, Canada, and Russia. With over 211 million inhabitants, Brazil is the sixth-most populous. The country is so big that it has four different time zones in its territory:
- UTC−5 (from the state of Acre to the westernmost portion of Amazonas)
- UTC−4 (in the western states)
- UTC−3 (in the eastern states, considered national time and known as Brasilia Time)
- UTC−2 (in the Atlantic islands)
Also, Brazil is by far the biggest country in South America. And there’s another fact that’s even more impressive: Brazil borders all the nations of South America, except for just two: Chile and Ecuador. Finally, to visually understand how big Brazil is, check out the image below how many countries would fit within the Brazilian territory. The image is from a third party, but unfortunately, we don’t know the author to give the credits to.

California Is A Gigantic State
California is not a small state. On the contrary, it’s quite the opposite. At 163,695 square miles, it’s the third-largest of the United States (losing only to Alaska and Texas). Even if it were a country, California would be considered a big one, ranking the 59th largest. With a population of 40 million people, it has a larger population than either Canada or Australia. The economy in California is thriving as well: if it were an independent country, it would be the 5th largest economy globally.
50 US States Ranked By Total Area
Rank | State Name | Square Miles |
1 | Alaska | 663,267 |
2 | Texas | 268,581 |
3 | California | 163,696 |
4 | Montana | 147,042 |
5 | New Mexico | 121,589 |
6 | Arizona | 113,998 |
7 | Nevada | 110,561 |
8 | Colorado | 104,094 |
9 | Oregon | 98,381 |
10 | Wyoming | 97,814 |
11 | Michigan | 96,716 |
12 | Minnesota | 86,939 |
13 | Utah | 84,899 |
14 | Idaho | 83,570 |
15 | Kansas | 82,277 |
16 | Nebraska | 77,354 |
17 | South Dakota | 77,117 |
18 | Washington | 71,300 |
19 | North Dakota | 70,700 |
20 | Oklahoma | 69,898 |
21 | Missouri | 69,704 |
22 | Florida | 65,755 |
23 | Wisconsin | 65,498 |
24 | Georgia | 59,425 |
25 | Illinois | 57,914 |
26 | Iowa | 56,272 |
27 | New York | 54,556 |
28 | North Carolina | 53,819 |
29 | Arkansas | 53,179 |
30 | Alabama | 52,419 |
31 | Louisiana | 51,840 |
32 | Mississippi | 48,430 |
33 | Pennsylvania | 46,055 |
34 | Ohio | 44,825 |
35 | Virginia | 42,774 |
36 | Tennessee | 42,143 |
37 | Kentucky | 40,409 |
38 | Indiana | 36,418 |
39 | Maine | 35,385 |
40 | South Carolina | 32,020 |
41 | West Virginia | 24,230 |
42 | Maryland | 12,407 |
43 | Hawaii | 10,931 |
44 | Massachusetts | 10,555 |
45 | Vermont | 9,614 |
46 | New Hampshire | 9,350 |
47 | New Jersey | 8,721 |
48 | Connecticut | 5,543 |
49 | Delaware | 2,489 |
50 | Rhode Island | 1,545 |
California Looks Tiny (When Compared To Brazil)
As shown before, California is a gigantic state. One hundred sixty-three thousand six hundred ninety-five square miles (or 423.970 km²) is a whole lot of land. However, my friend, when it comes to sizing, it is all about perspective. So when we compare the Bear Flag State to Brazil, it looks tiny. But, on the other hand, Brazil is so huge that its territory could fit California 21 times. 21 times!
California has a total area of 163,696 mi², while the full size of Brazil is exactly 3,287,956 mi². Therefore, it means that the size of Brazil surpasses California in 3,125,260 mi². Also, it shows that Brazil is about 21 times bigger than California (20.08 to be precise).
California Is Bigger Than 136 Countries
California may look tiny compared to Brazil, but again, perspective is everything. California is bigger than 136 countries (out of 195). For example, the Bear Flag State is bigger than these 5 important European nations: Portugal, Italy, Germany, Ireland, and even the United Kingdom. Cali is almost 5 times the size of Portugal and Ireland, almost 2 times the size of the entire United Kingdom, and bigger than Italy and Germany.
And those are just to give some perspective; there are many more countries smaller than the Bear Flag State. Last but not least, to visually understand How Big Is California check the amazing infographic made by SpareFoot highlighting and comparing Cal with other states and countries.
Country / State | Total Area |
California | 163,696 mi² (423,970 km²) |
Portugal | 35,560 mi² (92,090 km²) |
Italy | 116,346 mi² (301,336 km²) |
Germany | 137,882 mi² (357,114 km²) |
Ireland | 27,133 mi² (70,273 km²) |
United Kingdom | 93,628 mi² (242,495 km²) |
Related Questions
Who is bigger Brazil or United States? The United States is bigger than Brazil. The total area of Brazil is Brazil is exactly 3,287,956 mi², while the contiguous United States, Alaska, and Hawaii sum a full size of 3,796,742 mi². However, considering only the contiguous states, Brazil is bigger.
Can the US fit in Brazil? Considering only the contiguous states, the United States fit in Brazil (not counting Alaska and Hawaii). The area of Brazil is 3,287,956 mi², while the size of the contiguous United States is 3,119,884 mi². However, considering all states, the US is bigger than Brazil.
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