Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Almost all of Europe is accessible in a day on a train. Only planes can do that in the US. The US isn’t that much larger, I don’t think this argument holds. The geography and locations of population centres seem more of an issue.
"The US isn’t that much larger" Just search for one of the many pictures of the state (state!) of Texas superimposed over Europe. The US is freaking huge compared to Europe.
I have compared them, and I don’t see what you’re seeing. Depending on how you measure (do you include European Russia, ie the bit west of the Urals?) Europe is larger.
https://www.worldatlas.com/geography/are-the-usa-and-europe-...
https://www.mylifeelsewhere.com/country-size-comparison/unit...