Central African Republic vs São Tomé and Principe

Central African Republic is 622 times larger than São Tomé and Principe. São Tomé and Principe would fit into Central African Republic about 622 times.

Central African RepublicSão Tomé and PrincipeCentral African Republic moved onto São Tomé and Principe · Equal-area projection
622×
Central African Republic is 622× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
Central African RepublicSão Tomé and Principe
Area622,984 km²1,001 km²
Population5,513,282240,254
Density8.8 / km²240 / km²
CapitalBanguiSao Tome
RegionMiddle AfricaMiddle Africa
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; São Tomé and Principe at 0° N is stretched to 1.0×. Here the two are distorted about the same amount, so Mercator gets this pair roughly right. 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 São Tomé and Principe?
Yes. Central African Republic is 622 times larger than São Tomé and Principe. Central African Republic covers 622,984 km² and São Tomé and Principe covers 1,001 km².
How many times does São Tomé and Principe fit into Central African Republic?
About 622 times: Central African Republic has 622× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
Why do Central African Republic and São Tomé and Principe 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 São Tomé and Principe about 1.0×. For this pair the distortion is similar, so Mercator gets the comparison roughly right. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Central African Republic or São Tomé and Principe?
Central African Republic: 5,513,282 people against 240,254. Density: Central African Republic 8.8 per km², São Tomé and Principe 240 per km².