Albania vs Taiwan

Taiwan is 26% larger than Albania.

AlbaniaTaiwanAlbania moved onto Taiwan · Equal-area projection
0.79×
Albania is 0.79× the area of Taiwan. Put the other way, Taiwan is 1.26× the size of Albania.
AlbaniaTaiwan
Area28,748 km²36,193 km²
Population2,349,58023,262,544
Density82 / km²643 / km²
CapitalTiraneTaipei
RegionSouthern EuropeEastern Asia
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; Taiwan at 24° N is stretched to 1.19×. That difference is why Albania looks so much bigger than it is next to Taiwan. 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 Taiwan?
No. Albania is 21% smaller than Taiwan. Albania covers 28,748 km² and Taiwan covers 36,193 km².
How many times does Albania fit into Taiwan?
About 1.3 times: Taiwan has 1.26× the area of Albania.
Why do Albania and Taiwan 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 Taiwan about 1.19×. That is why Albania looks so much bigger than it really is next to Taiwan. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Albania or Taiwan?
Taiwan: 23,262,544 people against 2,349,580. Density: Albania 82 per km², Taiwan 643 per km².