Belgium vs Somalia

Somalia is 20.8 times larger than Belgium. Belgium would fit into Somalia about 21 times.

BelgiumSomaliaBelgium moved onto Somalia · Equal-area projection
0.05×
Belgium is 0.05× the area of Somalia. Put the other way, Somalia is 20.8× the size of Belgium.
BelgiumSomalia
Area30,688 km²637,657 km²
Population11,941,78119,654,739
Density389 / km²31 / km²
CapitalBrusselsMogadishu
RegionWestern EuropeEastern Africa
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours43

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; Somalia at 5° N is stretched to 1.01×. That difference is why Belgium looks so much bigger than it is next to Somalia. 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 Somalia?
No. Belgium is 20.8 times smaller than Somalia. Belgium covers 30,688 km² and Somalia covers 637,657 km².
How many times does Belgium fit into Somalia?
About 21 times: Somalia has 20.8× the area of Belgium.
Why do Belgium and Somalia 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 Somalia about 1.01×. That is why Belgium looks so much bigger than it really is next to Somalia. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Belgium or Somalia?
Somalia: 19,654,739 people against 11,941,781. Density: Belgium 389 per km², Somalia 31 per km².