Botswana vs Cameroon

Botswana is 22% larger than Cameroon.

BotswanaCameroonBotswana moved onto Cameroon · Equal-area projection
1.22×
Botswana is 1.22× the area of Cameroon.
BotswanaCameroon
Area581,737 km²475,442 km²
Population2,562,12229,879,337
Density4.4 / km²63 / km²
CapitalGaboroneYaounde
RegionSouthern AfricaMiddle Africa
CoastlineLandlockedHas a coast
Neighbours36

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Botswana sits at about 22°S and is stretched to 1.17× its true area; Cameroon at 6° N is stretched to 1.01×. 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 Botswana bigger than Cameroon?
Yes. Botswana is 22% larger than Cameroon. Botswana covers 581,737 km² and Cameroon covers 475,442 km².
How many times does Cameroon fit into Botswana?
About 1.2 times: Botswana has 1.22× the area of Cameroon.
Why do Botswana and Cameroon look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Botswana is drawn about 1.17× its true area there and Cameroon about 1.01×. 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, Botswana or Cameroon?
Cameroon: 29,879,337 people against 2,562,122. Density: Botswana 4.4 per km², Cameroon 63 per km².