Cook Islands vs Netherlands

Netherlands is 176 times larger than Cook Islands. Cook Islands would fit into Netherlands about 176 times.

Cook IslandsNetherlandsCook Islands moved onto Netherlands · Equal-area projection
0.01×
Cook Islands is 0.01× the area of Netherlands. Put the other way, Netherlands is 176× the size of Cook Islands.
Cook IslandsNetherlands
Area240 km²42,201 km²
Population14,22218,087,633
Density59 / km²429 / km²
CapitalAvaruaAmsterdam
RegionPolynesiaWestern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours02

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Cook Islands sits at about 21°S and is stretched to 1.15× 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 Cook Islands. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Cook Islands bigger than Netherlands?
No. Cook Islands is 176 times smaller than Netherlands. Cook Islands covers 240 km² and Netherlands covers 42,201 km².
How many times does Cook Islands fit into Netherlands?
About 176 times: Netherlands has 176× the area of Cook Islands.
Why do Cook Islands and Netherlands look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Cook Islands is drawn about 1.15× its true area there and Netherlands about 2.67×. That is why Netherlands looks so much bigger than it really is next to Cook Islands. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Cook Islands or Netherlands?
Netherlands: 18,087,633 people against 14,222. Density: Cook Islands 59 per km², Netherlands 429 per km².