Belgium vs Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is 2.34 times larger than Belgium. Belgium would fit into Sierra Leone about 2.3 times.

BelgiumSierra LeoneBelgium moved onto Sierra Leone · Equal-area projection
0.43×
Belgium is 0.43× the area of Sierra Leone. Put the other way, Sierra Leone is 2.34× the size of Belgium.
BelgiumSierra Leone
Area30,688 km²71,740 km²
Population11,941,7818,819,794
Density389 / km²123 / km²
CapitalBrusselsFreetown
RegionWestern EuropeWestern Africa
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
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; Sierra Leone at 9° N is stretched to 1.02×. That difference is why Belgium looks so much bigger than it is next to Sierra Leone. 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 Sierra Leone?
No. Belgium is 2.34 times smaller than Sierra Leone. Belgium covers 30,688 km² and Sierra Leone covers 71,740 km².
How many times does Belgium fit into Sierra Leone?
About 2.3 times: Sierra Leone has 2.34× the area of Belgium.
Why do Belgium and Sierra Leone 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 Sierra Leone about 1.02×. That is why Belgium looks so much bigger than it really is next to Sierra Leone. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Belgium or Sierra Leone?
Belgium: 11,941,781 people against 8,819,794. Density: Belgium 389 per km², Sierra Leone 123 per km².