Albania vs Solomon Islands

Albania and Solomon Islands are almost exactly the same size.

AlbaniaSolomon IslandsAlbania moved onto Solomon Islands · Equal-area projection
1.01×
Albania is 1.01× the area of Solomon Islands.
AlbaniaSolomon Islands
Area28,748 km²28,400 km²
Population2,349,580838,645
Density82 / km²30 / km²
CapitalTiraneHoniara
RegionSouthern EuropeMelanesia
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours40

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; Solomon Islands at 9° S is stretched to 1.02×. That difference is why Albania looks so much bigger than it is next to Solomon Islands. 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 Solomon Islands?
Yes. Albania and Solomon Islands are almost exactly the same size. Albania covers 28,748 km² and Solomon Islands covers 28,400 km².
How many times does Solomon Islands fit into Albania?
About 1.0 times: Albania has 1.01× the area of Solomon Islands.
Why do Albania and Solomon Islands 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 Solomon Islands about 1.02×. That is why Albania looks so much bigger than it really is next to Solomon Islands. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Albania or Solomon Islands?
Albania: 2,349,580 people against 838,645. Density: Albania 82 per km², Solomon Islands 30 per km².