Belgium vs Moldova

Moldova is 10% larger than Belgium.

BelgiumMoldovaBelgium moved onto Moldova · Equal-area projection
0.91×
Belgium is 0.91× the area of Moldova. Put the other way, Moldova is 1.1× the size of Belgium.
BelgiumMoldova
Area30,688 km²33,844 km²
Population11,941,7812,360,527
Density389 / km²70 / km²
CapitalBrusselsChisinau
RegionWestern EuropeEastern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours42

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; Moldova at 47° N is stretched to 2.17×. 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 Belgium bigger than Moldova?
No. Belgium is 9% smaller than Moldova. Belgium covers 30,688 km² and Moldova covers 33,844 km².
How many times does Belgium fit into Moldova?
About 1.1 times: Moldova has 1.1× the area of Belgium.
Why do Belgium and Moldova 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 Moldova about 2.17×. 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, Belgium or Moldova?
Belgium: 11,941,781 people against 2,360,527. Density: Belgium 389 per km², Moldova 70 per km².