Åland Islands vs Heard and McDonald Islands

Åland Islands is 4.3 times larger than Heard and McDonald Islands. Heard and McDonald Islands would fit into Åland Islands about 4.3 times.

Åland IslandsHeard and McDonald IslandsÅland Islands moved onto Heard and McDonald Islands · Equal-area projection
4.3×
Åland Islands is 4.3× the area of Heard and McDonald Islands.
Åland IslandsHeard and McDonald Islands
Area1,583 km²368 km²
Population30,836
Density19 / km²
CapitalMariehamn
RegionNorthern EuropeSeven seas (open ocean)
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours00

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Åland Islands sits at about 60°N and is stretched to 4.05× its true area; Heard and McDonald Islands at 53° S is stretched to 2.77×. That difference is why Åland Islands looks so much bigger than it is next to Heard and McDonald Islands. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Åland Islands bigger than Heard and McDonald Islands?
Yes. Åland Islands is 4.3 times larger than Heard and McDonald Islands. Åland Islands covers 1,583 km² and Heard and McDonald Islands covers 368 km².
How many times does Heard and McDonald Islands fit into Åland Islands?
About 4.3 times: Åland Islands has 4.3× the area of Heard and McDonald Islands.
Why do Åland Islands and Heard and McDonald Islands look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Åland Islands is drawn about 4.05× its true area there and Heard and McDonald Islands about 2.77×. That is why Åland Islands looks so much bigger than it really is next to Heard and McDonald Islands. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.