Åland Islands vs Hong Kong

Hong Kong is 74% larger than Åland Islands. Åland Islands would fit into Hong Kong about 1.7 times.

Åland IslandsHong KongÅland Islands moved onto Hong Kong · Equal-area projection
0.57×
Åland Islands is 0.57× the area of Hong Kong. Put the other way, Hong Kong is 1.74× the size of Åland Islands.
Åland IslandsHong Kong
Area1,583 km²2,755 km²
Population30,8367,498,900
Density19 / km²2,722 / km²
CapitalMariehamn
RegionNorthern EuropeEastern Asia
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours01

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; Hong Kong at 22° N is stretched to 1.17×. That difference is why Åland Islands looks so much bigger than it is next to Hong Kong. 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 Hong Kong?
No. Åland Islands is 43% smaller than Hong Kong. Åland Islands covers 1,583 km² and Hong Kong covers 2,755 km².
How many times does Åland Islands fit into Hong Kong?
About 1.7 times: Hong Kong has 1.74× the area of Åland Islands.
Why do Åland Islands and Hong Kong 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 Hong Kong about 1.17×. That is why Åland Islands looks so much bigger than it really is next to Hong Kong. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Åland Islands or Hong Kong?
Hong Kong: 7,498,900 people against 30,836. Density: Åland Islands 19 per km², Hong Kong 2,722 per km².