Botswana vs São Tomé and Principe

Botswana is 581 times larger than São Tomé and Principe. São Tomé and Principe would fit into Botswana about 581 times.

BotswanaSão Tomé and PrincipeBotswana moved onto São Tomé and Principe · Equal-area projection
581×
Botswana is 581× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
BotswanaSão Tomé and Principe
Area581,737 km²1,001 km²
Population2,562,122240,254
Density4.4 / km²240 / km²
CapitalGaboroneSao Tome
RegionSouthern AfricaMiddle Africa
CoastlineLandlockedHas a coast
Neighbours30

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; São Tomé and Principe at 0° 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 São Tomé and Principe?
Yes. Botswana is 581 times larger than São Tomé and Principe. Botswana covers 581,737 km² and São Tomé and Principe covers 1,001 km².
How many times does São Tomé and Principe fit into Botswana?
About 581 times: Botswana has 581× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
Why do Botswana and São Tomé and Principe 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 São Tomé and Principe 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 São Tomé and Principe?
Botswana: 2,562,122 people against 240,254. Density: Botswana 4.4 per km², São Tomé and Principe 240 per km².