Central African Republic vs Netherlands

Central African Republic is 14.8 times larger than Netherlands. Netherlands would fit into Central African Republic about 15 times.

Central African RepublicNetherlandsCentral African Republic moved onto Netherlands · Equal-area projection
14.8×
Central African Republic is 14.8× the area of Netherlands.
Central African RepublicNetherlands
Area622,984 km²42,201 km²
Population5,513,28218,087,633
Density8.8 / km²429 / km²
CapitalBanguiAmsterdam
RegionMiddle AfricaWestern Europe
CoastlineLandlockedHas a coast
Neighbours62

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; Netherlands at 52° N is stretched to 2.67×. That difference is why Netherlands 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 Netherlands?
Yes. Central African Republic is 14.8 times larger than Netherlands. Central African Republic covers 622,984 km² and Netherlands covers 42,201 km².
How many times does Netherlands fit into Central African Republic?
About 15 times: Central African Republic has 14.8× the area of Netherlands.
Why do Central African Republic and Netherlands 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 Netherlands about 2.67×. That is why Netherlands 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 Netherlands?
Netherlands: 18,087,633 people against 5,513,282. Density: Central African Republic 8.8 per km², Netherlands 429 per km².