Chad vs Niger

Chad and Niger are almost exactly the same size.

ChadNigerChad moved onto Niger · Equal-area projection
1.01×
Chad is 1.01× the area of Niger.
ChadNiger
Area1,284,000 km²1,267,000 km²
Population21,003,70527,917,831
Density16 / km²22 / km²
CapitalN'DjamenaNiamey
RegionMiddle AfricaWestern Africa
CoastlineLandlockedLandlocked
Neighbours67

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Chad sits at about 15°N and is stretched to 1.07× its true area; Niger at 17° N is stretched to 1.1×. 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 Chad bigger than Niger?
Yes. Chad and Niger are almost exactly the same size. Chad covers 1,284,000 km² and Niger covers 1,267,000 km².
How many times does Niger fit into Chad?
About 1.0 times: Chad has 1.01× the area of Niger.
Why do Chad and Niger look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Chad is drawn about 1.07× its true area there and Niger about 1.1×. 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, Chad or Niger?
Niger: 27,917,831 people against 21,003,705. Density: Chad 16 per km², Niger 22 per km².