Botswana vs Malaysia

Botswana is 76% larger than Malaysia. Malaysia would fit into Botswana about 1.8 times.

BotswanaMalaysiaBotswana moved onto Malaysia · Equal-area projection
1.76×
Botswana is 1.76× the area of Malaysia.
BotswanaMalaysia
Area581,737 km²330,803 km²
Population2,562,12235,977,838
Density4.4 / km²109 / km²
CapitalGaboroneKuala Lumpur
RegionSouthern AfricaSouth-Eastern Asia
CoastlineLandlockedHas a coast
Neighbours33

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; Malaysia at 4° N 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 Botswana bigger than Malaysia?
Yes. Botswana is 76% larger than Malaysia. Botswana covers 581,737 km² and Malaysia covers 330,803 km².
How many times does Malaysia fit into Botswana?
About 1.8 times: Botswana has 1.76× the area of Malaysia.
Why do Botswana and Malaysia 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 Malaysia 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, Botswana or Malaysia?
Malaysia: 35,977,838 people against 2,562,122. Density: Botswana 4.4 per km², Malaysia 109 per km².