Congo vs Italy

Congo is 13% larger than Italy.

CongoItalyCongo moved onto Italy · Equal-area projection
1.13×
Congo is 1.13× the area of Italy.
CongoItaly
Area342,000 km²302,068 km²
Population6,484,43758,915,656
Density19 / km²195 / km²
CapitalBrazzavilleRome
RegionMiddle AfricaSouthern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours56

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Congo sits at about 1°S and is stretched to 1.0× its true area; Italy at 43° N is stretched to 1.85×. That difference is why Italy looks so much bigger than it is next to Congo. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Congo bigger than Italy?
Yes. Congo is 13% larger than Italy. Congo covers 342,000 km² and Italy covers 302,068 km².
How many times does Italy fit into Congo?
About 1.1 times: Congo has 1.13× the area of Italy.
Why do Congo and Italy look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Congo is drawn about 1.0× its true area there and Italy about 1.85×. That is why Italy looks so much bigger than it really is next to Congo. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Congo or Italy?
Italy: 58,915,656 people against 6,484,437. Density: Congo 19 per km², Italy 195 per km².