New Mexico: 5th Largest in Contiguous U.S., 36th Overall

New Mexico (121,590 sq mi / 314,917 km²) ranks:

• 5th largest among the 48 contiguous states (after Montana, California, Texas, Arizona).
• 36th largest overall (Alaska #1 at 665,384 sq mi; Texas #2).

The distinction matters: "contiguous" excludes Alaska and Hawaii. New Mexico's size is comparable to Poland or Italy.