Costa Rica vs North Macedonia

Costa Rica is 99% larger than North Macedonia. North Macedonia would fit into Costa Rica about 2.0 times.

Costa RicaNorth MacedoniaCosta Rica moved onto North Macedonia · Equal-area projection
1.99×
Costa Rica is 1.99× the area of North Macedonia.
Costa RicaNorth Macedonia
Area51,180 km²25,713 km²
Population5,152,9501,820,909
Density101 / km²71 / km²
CapitalSan JoseSkopje
RegionCentral AmericaSouthern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours25

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Costa Rica sits at about 10°N and is stretched to 1.03× its true area; North Macedonia at 42° N is stretched to 1.79×. That difference is why North Macedonia looks so much bigger than it is next to Costa Rica. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Costa Rica bigger than North Macedonia?
Yes. Costa Rica is 99% larger than North Macedonia. Costa Rica covers 51,180 km² and North Macedonia covers 25,713 km².
How many times does North Macedonia fit into Costa Rica?
About 2.0 times: Costa Rica has 1.99× the area of North Macedonia.
Why do Costa Rica and North Macedonia look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Costa Rica is drawn about 1.03× its true area there and North Macedonia about 1.79×. That is why North Macedonia looks so much bigger than it really is next to Costa Rica. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Costa Rica or North Macedonia?
Costa Rica: 5,152,950 people against 1,820,909. Density: Costa Rica 101 per km², North Macedonia 71 per km².