Albania vs North Macedonia

Albania is 12% larger than North Macedonia.

AlbaniaNorth MacedoniaAlbania moved onto North Macedonia · Equal-area projection
1.12×
Albania is 1.12× the area of North Macedonia.
AlbaniaNorth Macedonia
Area28,748 km²25,713 km²
Population2,349,5801,820,909
Density82 / km²71 / km²
CapitalTiraneSkopje
RegionSouthern EuropeSouthern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours45

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; North Macedonia at 42° N is stretched to 1.79×. Here the two are distorted about the same amount, so Mercator gets this pair roughly right. 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 North Macedonia?
Yes. Albania is 12% larger than North Macedonia. Albania covers 28,748 km² and North Macedonia covers 25,713 km².
How many times does North Macedonia fit into Albania?
About 1.1 times: Albania has 1.12× the area of North Macedonia.
Why do Albania and North Macedonia 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 North Macedonia about 1.79×. For this pair the distortion is similar, so Mercator gets the comparison roughly right. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Albania or North Macedonia?
Albania: 2,349,580 people against 1,820,909. Density: Albania 82 per km², North Macedonia 71 per km².