The map above shows the UK’s regions compared to US states with similar populations. Data for the UK comes from the 2011 Census and data for the US comes from the 2010 US Census.
For those that aren’t familiar with UK regions or US states here are the key population figures in order of size:
- South East (8.63 million) = New Jersey (8.79 million)
- London (8.17 million) = Virginia (8.00 million)
- North West (7.05 million) = Washington (state not DC) (6.72 million)
- East of England (5.85 million) = Maryland (5.77 million)
- West Midlands (5.60 million) = Wisconsin (5.69 million)
- Scotland (5.31 million) = Minnesota (5.30 million)
- South West (5.29 million) = Minnesota (5.30 million)
- Yorkshire and the Humber (5.28 million) = Colorado (5.03 million)
- East Midlands (4.53 million) = Louisiana (4.53 million)
- Wales (3.06 million) = Iowa (3.05 million)
- North East (2.60 million) = Nevada (2.70 million)
- Northern Ireland (1.81 million) = West Virginia (1.85 million)
In total, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has a population of 63.18 million people in an area of 93,628 sq mi (242,495 sq km) vs the United States of America which has population of 309.35 million in an area of 3,805,927 sq mi (9,857,306 sq km).
Want to learn more about the history of the UK and US? Have a look at the following books:
- Old World, New World: Great Britain and America from the Beginning
- God and Gold: Britain, America, and the Making of the Modern World
- An Empire on the Edge: How Britain Came to Fight America
- White Cargo: The Forgotten History of Britain’s White Slaves in America
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Pieter Geerkens says
Instead of population, how about population density?
So many, throughout the world, fail to appreciate how sparsely populated much of North America is. For example, Montana has roughly 180% the area of Great Britain, but with just 1/3 the population density of the Outer Hebrides.
Munzuk49 says
The UK does not have regions, we have Counties. Regions are a creation of the EU designed to break up the UK when it was part of the EU. That situation no longer exists.
James Russell says
Two Minnesotas? You substitute Colorado for one a lot closer to Minnesota.