Cook Islands vs Vatican City

Cook Islands is — times larger than Vatican City. Vatican City would fit into Cook Islands about Infinity times.

Cook IslandsVatican CityCook Islands moved onto Vatican City · Equal-area projection
Cook Islands is — the area of Vatican City.
Cook IslandsVatican City
Area240 km²0 km²
Population14,222882
Density59 / km²0.00 / km²
CapitalAvaruaVatican City
RegionPolynesiaSouthern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours01

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; Vatican City at 42° N is stretched to 1.81×. That difference is why Vatican City 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 Vatican City?
Yes. Cook Islands is — times larger than Vatican City. Cook Islands covers 240 km² and Vatican City covers 0 km².
How many times does Vatican City fit into Cook Islands?
About Infinity times: Cook Islands has — the area of Vatican City.
Why do Cook Islands and Vatican City 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 Vatican City about 1.81×. That is why Vatican City 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 Vatican City?
Cook Islands: 14,222 people against 882. Density: Cook Islands 59 per km², Vatican City 0.00 per km².