This is how big the Antarctica iceberg is...

A satellite image of part of the one trillion tonne 5,800 square km iceberg which broke away as part of the natural cycle of iceberg calving off the Larsen-C ice shelf in Antarctica. Picture: ESA/Handout via REUTERS

A satellite image of part of the one trillion tonne 5,800 square km iceberg which broke away as part of the natural cycle of iceberg calving off the Larsen-C ice shelf in Antarctica. Picture: ESA/Handout via REUTERS

Published Jul 13, 2017

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Washington - After weeks of anticipation from scientists, a 5 800-square km iceberg finally broke loose on Wednesday from the Larsen ice shelf in Antarctica. 

The story was heavily featured in news coverage around the world, with varying size comparisons to help readers put it in context.

United States: An Iceberg the Size of Delaware Breaks Off of Antarctica

Europe: An Iceberg Twice the Size of Luxembourg Breaks Off of Antarctica

Southern United States: An Iceberg the Size of What We Omit from Textbooks Breaks Off of Antarctica

Boston: An Iceberg the Size of Crowbar Frankie's Rap Sheet Breaks Off of Antarctica

Portland, Ore.: A Physical Manifestation of White Entitlement Breaks Off of Antarctica

Boca Raton, Fla.: An Iceberg the Length of Pearl's Bathroom Break During the Bridge Game Breaks off of Antarctica

Southern California: Why It's Now OK to Put Ice Cubes in Your Chardonnay

Northern California: An Iceberg Bigger than Snapchat's IPO Breaks Off of Antarctica

Canada: An Iceberg the Size of the Wall We're Secretly Thinking About Building on the Southern Border Breaks off of Antarctica

New York City: An Iceberg with Unfortunately No Vacant Apartments Breaks Off of Antarctica

New Jersey: An Iceberg the Size of the Potholes in the George Washington Bridge Breaks off of Antarctica; Chris Christie Claims Ice for His Family's Daiquiri Party

England: Massive Iceberg Breaks off of Antarctica; Theresa May Plans Vote on Banning it from Melting in English Waters

Washington, DC: An Iceberg the Size of Delaware Breaks off of Antarctica (Seriously, Delaware is Bigger than We Thought - Why Are We Still Living Near The White House?)

North Korea: Iceberg Submits to Glorious Leader Kim Jong Un's Order to Break Off of Antarctica

Russia: Iceberg Is Big Like Bear, but Also Weak and Breaks Like American Political System

* According to Cape Town radio station HeartFM, the iceberg is equivalent to drawing a line from Saint Helena Bay to Hermanus and chopping that entire landmass off the coast of South Africa. 

If you have any other suggestions on how to put this into context for South African readers, email your comparisons to iolletters@inl.co.za or comment on our

The Washington Post 

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