Bulgaria vs Ireland

Bulgaria is 59% larger than Ireland. Ireland would fit into Bulgaria about 1.6 times.

BulgariaIrelandBulgaria moved onto Ireland · Equal-area projection
1.59×
Bulgaria is 1.59× the area of Ireland.
BulgariaIreland
Area110,994 km²69,797 km²
Population6,433,3025,484,367
Density58 / km²79 / km²
CapitalSofiaDublin
RegionEastern EuropeNorthern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours51

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Bulgaria sits at about 43°N and is stretched to 1.86× its true area; Ireland at 53° N is stretched to 2.78×. That difference is why Ireland looks so much bigger than it is next to Bulgaria. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Bulgaria bigger than Ireland?
Yes. Bulgaria is 59% larger than Ireland. Bulgaria covers 110,994 km² and Ireland covers 69,797 km².
How many times does Ireland fit into Bulgaria?
About 1.6 times: Bulgaria has 1.59× the area of Ireland.
Why do Bulgaria and Ireland look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Bulgaria is drawn about 1.86× its true area there and Ireland about 2.78×. That is why Ireland looks so much bigger than it really is next to Bulgaria. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Bulgaria or Ireland?
Bulgaria: 6,433,302 people against 5,484,367. Density: Bulgaria 58 per km², Ireland 79 per km².