Chagos Islands vs Moldova

Moldova is 564 times larger than Chagos Islands. Chagos Islands would fit into Moldova about 564 times.

Chagos IslandsMoldovaChagos Islands moved onto Moldova · Equal-area projection
0.0×
Chagos Islands is 0.0× the area of Moldova. Put the other way, Moldova is 564× the size of Chagos Islands.
Chagos IslandsMoldova
Area60 km²33,844 km²
Population3,0002,360,527
Density50 / km²70 / km²
CapitalDiego GarciaChisinau
RegionSeven seas (open ocean)Eastern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours02

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Chagos Islands sits at about 7°S and is stretched to 1.02× its true area; Moldova at 47° N is stretched to 2.17×. That difference is why Moldova looks so much bigger than it is next to Chagos Islands. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Chagos Islands bigger than Moldova?
No. Chagos Islands is 564 times smaller than Moldova. Chagos Islands covers 60 km² and Moldova covers 33,844 km².
How many times does Chagos Islands fit into Moldova?
About 564 times: Moldova has 564× the area of Chagos Islands.
Why do Chagos Islands and Moldova look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Chagos Islands is drawn about 1.02× its true area there and Moldova about 2.17×. That is why Moldova looks so much bigger than it really is next to Chagos Islands. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Chagos Islands or Moldova?
Moldova: 2,360,527 people against 3,000. Density: Chagos Islands 50 per km², Moldova 70 per km².