Belgium vs São Tomé and Principe

Belgium is 30.7 times larger than São Tomé and Principe. São Tomé and Principe would fit into Belgium about 31 times.

BelgiumSão Tomé and PrincipeBelgium moved onto São Tomé and Principe · Equal-area projection
30.7×
Belgium is 30.7× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
BelgiumSão Tomé and Principe
Area30,688 km²1,001 km²
Population11,941,781240,254
Density389 / km²240 / km²
CapitalBrusselsSao Tome
RegionWestern EuropeMiddle Africa
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. Belgium sits at about 51°N and is stretched to 2.49× its true area; São Tomé and Principe at 0° N is stretched to 1.0×. That difference is why Belgium looks so much bigger than it is next to São Tomé and Principe. 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 São Tomé and Principe?
Yes. Belgium is 30.7 times larger than São Tomé and Principe. Belgium covers 30,688 km² and São Tomé and Principe covers 1,001 km².
How many times does São Tomé and Principe fit into Belgium?
About 31 times: Belgium has 30.7× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
Why do Belgium and São Tomé and Principe 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 São Tomé and Principe about 1.0×. That is why Belgium looks so much bigger than it really is next to São Tomé and Principe. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Belgium or São Tomé and Principe?
Belgium: 11,941,781 people against 240,254. Density: Belgium 389 per km², São Tomé and Principe 240 per km².