Benin vs Costa Rica

Benin is 2.24 times larger than Costa Rica. Costa Rica would fit into Benin about 2.2 times.

BeninCosta RicaBenin moved onto Costa Rica · Equal-area projection
2.24×
Benin is 2.24× the area of Costa Rica.
BeninCosta Rica
Area114,763 km²51,180 km²
Population14,814,4605,152,950
Density129 / km²101 / km²
CapitalPorto-NovoSan Jose
RegionWestern AfricaCentral America
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. Benin sits at about 10°N and is stretched to 1.03× its true area; Costa Rica at 10° N is stretched to 1.03×. 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 Benin bigger than Costa Rica?
Yes. Benin is 2.24 times larger than Costa Rica. Benin covers 114,763 km² and Costa Rica covers 51,180 km².
How many times does Costa Rica fit into Benin?
About 2.2 times: Benin has 2.24× the area of Costa Rica.
Why do Benin and Costa Rica look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Benin is drawn about 1.03× its true area there and Costa Rica about 1.03×. 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, Benin or Costa Rica?
Benin: 14,814,460 people against 5,152,950. Density: Benin 129 per km², Costa Rica 101 per km².