Belgium vs Bulgaria

Bulgaria is 3.62 times larger than Belgium. Belgium would fit into Bulgaria about 3.6 times.

BelgiumBulgariaBelgium moved onto Bulgaria · Equal-area projection
0.28×
Belgium is 0.28× the area of Bulgaria. Put the other way, Bulgaria is 3.62× the size of Belgium.
BelgiumBulgaria
Area30,688 km²110,994 km²
Population11,941,7816,433,302
Density389 / km²58 / km²
CapitalBrusselsSofia
RegionWestern EuropeEastern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours45

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Belgium sits at about 51°N and is stretched to 2.49× its true area; Bulgaria at 43° N is stretched to 1.86×. That difference is why Belgium looks so much bigger than it is next to Bulgaria. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Belgium bigger than Bulgaria?
No. Belgium is 3.62 times smaller than Bulgaria. Belgium covers 30,688 km² and Bulgaria covers 110,994 km².
How many times does Belgium fit into Bulgaria?
About 3.6 times: Bulgaria has 3.62× the area of Belgium.
Why do Belgium and Bulgaria look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Belgium is drawn about 2.49× its true area there and Bulgaria about 1.86×. That is why Belgium looks so much bigger than it really is next to Bulgaria. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Belgium or Bulgaria?
Belgium: 11,941,781 people against 6,433,302. Density: Belgium 389 per km², Bulgaria 58 per km².