Botswana vs Poland

Botswana is 86% larger than Poland. Poland would fit into Botswana about 1.9 times.

BotswanaPolandBotswana moved onto Poland · Equal-area projection
1.86×
Botswana is 1.86× the area of Poland.
BotswanaPoland
Area581,737 km²312,683 km²
Population2,562,12236,435,861
Density4.4 / km²117 / km²
CapitalGaboroneWarsaw
RegionSouthern AfricaEastern Europe
CoastlineLandlockedHas a coast
Neighbours37

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; Poland at 52° N is stretched to 2.65×. That difference is why Poland 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 Poland?
Yes. Botswana is 86% larger than Poland. Botswana covers 581,737 km² and Poland covers 312,683 km².
How many times does Poland fit into Botswana?
About 1.9 times: Botswana has 1.86× the area of Poland.
Why do Botswana and Poland 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 Poland about 2.65×. That is why Poland 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 Poland?
Poland: 36,435,861 people against 2,562,122. Density: Botswana 4.4 per km², Poland 117 per km².