Belize vs Rwanda

Rwanda is 15% larger than Belize.

BelizeRwandaBelize moved onto Rwanda · Equal-area projection
0.87×
Belize is 0.87× the area of Rwanda. Put the other way, Rwanda is 1.15× the size of Belize.
BelizeRwanda
Area22,966 km²26,338 km²
Population422,92414,569,341
Density18 / km²553 / km²
CapitalBelmopanKigali
RegionCentral AmericaEastern Africa
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours24

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Belize sits at about 17°N and is stretched to 1.1× its true area; Rwanda at 2° S is stretched to 1.0×. 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 Belize bigger than Rwanda?
No. Belize is 13% smaller than Rwanda. Belize covers 22,966 km² and Rwanda covers 26,338 km².
How many times does Belize fit into Rwanda?
About 1.1 times: Rwanda has 1.15× the area of Belize.
Why do Belize and Rwanda look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Belize is drawn about 1.1× its true area there and Rwanda about 1.0×. 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, Belize or Rwanda?
Rwanda: 14,569,341 people against 422,924. Density: Belize 18 per km², Rwanda 553 per km².