Botswana vs France

France is 11% larger than Botswana.

BotswanaFranceBotswana moved onto France · Equal-area projection
0.9×
Botswana is 0.9× the area of France. Put the other way, France is 1.11× the size of Botswana.
BotswanaFrance
Area581,737 km²643,801 km²
Population2,562,12268,720,337
Density4.4 / km²107 / km²
CapitalGaboroneParis
RegionSouthern AfricaWestern Europe
CoastlineLandlockedHas a coast
Neighbours310

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; France at 43° N is stretched to 1.87×. That difference is why France looks so much bigger than it is next to Botswana. 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 France?
No. Botswana is 10% smaller than France. Botswana covers 581,737 km² and France covers 643,801 km².
How many times does Botswana fit into France?
About 1.1 times: France has 1.11× the area of Botswana.
Why do Botswana and France 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 France about 1.87×. That is why France looks so much bigger than it really is next to Botswana. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Botswana or France?
France: 68,720,337 people against 2,562,122. Density: Botswana 4.4 per km², France 107 per km².