Central African Republic vs Heard and McDonald Islands

Central African Republic is 1,693 times larger than Heard and McDonald Islands. Heard and McDonald Islands would fit into Central African Republic about 1693 times.

Central African RepublicHeard and McDonald IslandsCentral African Republic moved onto Heard and McDonald Islands · Equal-area projection
1,693×
Central African Republic is 1,693× the area of Heard and McDonald Islands.
Central African RepublicHeard and McDonald Islands
Area622,984 km²368 km²
Population5,513,282
Density8.8 / km²
CapitalBangui
RegionMiddle AfricaSeven seas (open ocean)
CoastlineLandlockedHas a coast
Neighbours60

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; Heard and McDonald Islands at 53° S is stretched to 2.77×. That difference is why Heard and McDonald Islands 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 Heard and McDonald Islands?
Yes. Central African Republic is 1,693 times larger than Heard and McDonald Islands. Central African Republic covers 622,984 km² and Heard and McDonald Islands covers 368 km².
How many times does Heard and McDonald Islands fit into Central African Republic?
About 1693 times: Central African Republic has 1,693× the area of Heard and McDonald Islands.
Why do Central African Republic and Heard and McDonald Islands 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 Heard and McDonald Islands about 2.77×. That is why Heard and McDonald Islands 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.