Central African Republic vs France

France is 3% larger than Central African Republic.

Central African RepublicFranceCentral African Republic moved onto France · Equal-area projection
0.97×
Central African Republic is 0.97× the area of France. Put the other way, France is 1.03× the size of Central African Republic.
Central African RepublicFrance
Area622,984 km²643,801 km²
Population5,513,28268,720,337
Density8.8 / km²107 / km²
CapitalBanguiParis
RegionMiddle AfricaWestern Europe
CoastlineLandlockedHas a coast
Neighbours610

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Central African Republic sits at about 7°N and is stretched to 1.01× its true area; France at 43° N is stretched to 1.87×. That difference is why France looks so much bigger than it is next to Central African Republic. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Central African Republic bigger than France?
No. Central African Republic is 3% smaller than France. Central African Republic covers 622,984 km² and France covers 643,801 km².
How many times does Central African Republic fit into France?
About 1.0 times: France has 1.03× the area of Central African Republic.
Why do Central African Republic and France look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Central African Republic is drawn about 1.01× its true area there and France about 1.87×. That is why France looks so much bigger than it really is next to Central African Republic. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Central African Republic or France?
France: 68,720,337 people against 5,513,282. Density: Central African Republic 8.8 per km², France 107 per km².