Burkina Faso vs Latvia

Burkina Faso is 4.24 times larger than Latvia. Latvia would fit into Burkina Faso about 4.2 times.

Burkina FasoLatviaBurkina Faso moved onto Latvia · Equal-area projection
4.24×
Burkina Faso is 4.24× the area of Latvia.
Burkina FasoLatvia
Area274,200 km²64,594 km²
Population24,074,5801,847,785
Density88 / km²29 / km²
CapitalOuagadougouRiga
RegionWestern AfricaNorthern Europe
CoastlineLandlockedHas a coast
Neighbours64

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Burkina Faso sits at about 12°N and is stretched to 1.05× its true area; Latvia at 57° N is stretched to 3.35×. That difference is why Latvia looks so much bigger than it is next to Burkina Faso. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Burkina Faso bigger than Latvia?
Yes. Burkina Faso is 4.24 times larger than Latvia. Burkina Faso covers 274,200 km² and Latvia covers 64,594 km².
How many times does Latvia fit into Burkina Faso?
About 4.2 times: Burkina Faso has 4.24× the area of Latvia.
Why do Burkina Faso and Latvia look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Burkina Faso is drawn about 1.05× its true area there and Latvia about 3.35×. That is why Latvia looks so much bigger than it really is next to Burkina Faso. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Burkina Faso or Latvia?
Burkina Faso: 24,074,580 people against 1,847,785. Density: Burkina Faso 88 per km², Latvia 29 per km².