Åland Islands vs Samoa

Samoa is 80% larger than Åland Islands. Åland Islands would fit into Samoa about 1.8 times.

Åland IslandsSamoaÅland Islands moved onto Samoa · Equal-area projection
0.56×
Åland Islands is 0.56× the area of Samoa. Put the other way, Samoa is 1.8× the size of Åland Islands.
Åland IslandsSamoa
Area1,583 km²2,842 km²
Population30,836219,306
Density19 / km²77 / km²
CapitalMariehamnApia
RegionNorthern EuropePolynesia
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; Samoa at 14° S is stretched to 1.06×. That difference is why Åland Islands looks so much bigger than it is next to Samoa. 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 Samoa?
No. Åland Islands is 44% smaller than Samoa. Åland Islands covers 1,583 km² and Samoa covers 2,842 km².
How many times does Åland Islands fit into Samoa?
About 1.8 times: Samoa has 1.8× the area of Åland Islands.
Why do Åland Islands and Samoa 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 Samoa about 1.06×. That is why Åland Islands looks so much bigger than it really is next to Samoa. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Åland Islands or Samoa?
Samoa: 219,306 people against 30,836. Density: Åland Islands 19 per km², Samoa 77 per km².