Skip to content

Japan's area vs Portugal's: size comparison by land type

Updated on by Georank team

Japan is 4.1 times bigger by total area compared to Portugal: 145,936 sq mi vs 35,608 sq mi. Without inland water, the land area of Japan is 140,761 sq mi vs 35,369 sq mi for Portugal — a 3.98 times difference in territory size.

  • Japan ranks 62/197 by total surface area vs 109/197 for Portugal.
  • Japan occupies 0.24% of the land mass of all countries, compared with 0.06% for Portugal.
  • 12.6% of Japan's area is agricultural land vs 43.3% in Portugal.
  • Japan has 0.1% of the world's agricultural land area — Portugal has 0.08%.
  • 68.4% of Japan is covered by forests, compared to 36.2% in Portugal.
  • 0.62% of the world's forests are in Japan, and 0.08% are in Portugal.

True size map comparison: Japan vs Portugal

See how Japan and Portugal compare in true size on the map. Drag the outlines to different latitudes to see how the Mercator projection affects their apparent size.

Total size and land area comparison

Japan Portugal
Total area 145,936
sq mi
35,608
sq mi
Size difference ratio 4.1 1
Total area rank 62/197 109/197
Share of all countries' surface area 0.07% 0.02%
Land area 140,761
sq mi
35,369
sq mi
Land area difference ratio 3.98 1
Land area rank 61/197 108/197
Share of all countries' land area 0.24% 0.06%
Population 123,975,371 10,694,681
Population density 872 ppl/mi² 302 ppl/mi²

Surface area by type

Japan Portugal
Forest area 96,275
sq mi
12,788
sq mi
Forest area as share of land 68.4% 36.2%
Forest area rank 23/196 86/196
World's forests share 0.62% 0.08%
Agricultural land area 17,788
sq mi
15,328
sq mi
Agricultural land share 12.6% 43.3%
Agricultural land area rank 92/194 95/194
Share of global agricultural land 0.1% 0.08%
Arable land 15,614
sq mi
3,580
sq mi
Arable land share 11.1% 10.1%
Arable land area rank 56/191 110/191
Permanent cropland 981
sq mi
3,400
sq mi
Permanent cropland share 0.7% 9.61%
Permanent cropland area rank 75/192 41/192
Water area 5,175
sq mi
239.2
sq mi
Water as share of total area 3.55% 0.67%
Water area rank 37/197 111/197
Roads length 757,310
mi
n/a
Land borders length 0
mi
761
mi
Coastline length 18,486
mi
1,114
mi
Share of marine protected waters 13.8% 16.8%

Japan vs Portugal size on the map

Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2026, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/size/japan/portugal | CC BY

The map above outlines the borders of Japan and Portugal but is not accurate for size comparison because it's a 2d map with Mercator projection that distorts territories near the poles. The farther a country is from the equator, the more magnified it appears. More about country size projections.

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Help us show the world through your eyes

Share a photo of your city and help others discover what it looks like to live there. Your contribution makes our data come alive.

Data sources:

  1. World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (2023–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
  2. Wikidata (2026, retrieved 2026-02-08)
  3. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2025, retrieved 2026-02-20)
  4. United Nations | World Population Prospects (2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)

Total agricultural land encompasses all areas used for agriculture: territories under permanent and temporary crops and pastures. It includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vineyards, but excludes sites utilized for timber production.

Arable land encompasses fields utilized for temporary crop production, pastures, market or kitchen gardens, and temporarily fallowed land. Land abandoned due to shifting cultivation practices is not included.

Permanent cropland refers to farmland for the long-term cultivation of crops, such as coffee, cocoa, and rubber, which do not require replanting after each harvest. This category encompasses land with permanent crops like flowering shrubs, fruit and nut trees, and vines, but does not include land under trees for timber production.

Inland areas under water, such as large rivers, lakes, and some coastal waterways.

Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) — you’re free to copy, share, remix, adapt, and use even commercially as long as you give appropriate credit and clearly indicate if you made changes. Other sources may be subject to different license terms.