Recently I heard Iraq referred to as ‘a country the size of California’. I looked it up, and it’s true. (It’s actually about 5,000 sq. miles larger than CA, which is the third-largest state; but CA is the nearest fit. Texas, the second-largest state, is about 105,000 sq. miles larger than CA.)
Still, it’s amusing that Iraq was equated with a state that is by and large opposed to the current U.S. administration.
I make the UK equivalent in area to Michigan. Draw your own conclusions (because I have none to make!)
Texas is about the same size as France.
On Bill Maher’s recent show, he remarked that Iraq was always described as “about the size of Texas” when the war was going well; but now that the war has been going south for a long time, Iraq’s now described as “about the size of California.”
He alluded that it was a subtle dig at us blue-staters. 
That might have been where I heard it. I missed part of that episode.
I bet that goes over real well when Texans wear that shirt in Europe. Those people sure are proud of their state (my mother especially".
An Alaskan tour guide was showing people from the Lower 48 around. Every time he would proudly show them one of Alaska’s wonders, a guy from Texas would say “We have a bigger one of those back in Texas.” Finally the tour guide got tired of the Texan’s remarks and replied “Sir, if you don’t quit talking about how big everything is in Texas, I am going to have Alaska split in half so that Texas will be the THIRD biggest state.”