Albania vs Costa Rica

Costa Rica is 78% larger than Albania. Albania would fit into Costa Rica about 1.8 times.

AlbaniaCosta RicaAlbania moved onto Costa Rica · Equal-area projection
0.56×
Albania is 0.56× the area of Costa Rica. Put the other way, Costa Rica is 1.78× the size of Albania.
AlbaniaCosta Rica
Area28,748 km²51,180 km²
Population2,349,5805,152,950
Density82 / km²101 / km²
CapitalTiraneSan Jose
RegionSouthern EuropeCentral America
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours42

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Albania sits at about 41°N and is stretched to 1.76× its true area; Costa Rica at 10° N is stretched to 1.03×. That difference is why Albania looks so much bigger than it is next to Costa Rica. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Albania bigger than Costa Rica?
No. Albania is 44% smaller than Costa Rica. Albania covers 28,748 km² and Costa Rica covers 51,180 km².
How many times does Albania fit into Costa Rica?
About 1.8 times: Costa Rica has 1.78× the area of Albania.
Why do Albania and Costa Rica look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Albania is drawn about 1.76× its true area there and Costa Rica about 1.03×. That is why Albania looks so much bigger than it really is next to Costa Rica. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Albania or Costa Rica?
Costa Rica: 5,152,950 people against 2,349,580. Density: Albania 82 per km², Costa Rica 101 per km².