Croatia vs Ireland

Ireland is 23% larger than Croatia.

CroatiaIrelandCroatia moved onto Ireland · Equal-area projection
0.81×
Croatia is 0.81× the area of Ireland. Put the other way, Ireland is 1.23× the size of Croatia.
CroatiaIreland
Area56,594 km²69,797 km²
Population3,876,2005,484,367
Density68 / km²79 / km²
CapitalZagrebDublin
RegionSouthern EuropeNorthern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours51

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Croatia sits at about 45°N and is stretched to 2.01× its true area; Ireland at 53° N is stretched to 2.78×. That difference is why Ireland looks so much bigger than it is next to Croatia. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Croatia bigger than Ireland?
No. Croatia is 19% smaller than Ireland. Croatia covers 56,594 km² and Ireland covers 69,797 km².
How many times does Croatia fit into Ireland?
About 1.2 times: Ireland has 1.23× the area of Croatia.
Why do Croatia and Ireland look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Croatia is drawn about 2.01× its true area there and Ireland about 2.78×. That is why Ireland looks so much bigger than it really is next to Croatia. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Croatia or Ireland?
Ireland: 5,484,367 people against 3,876,200. Density: Croatia 68 per km², Ireland 79 per km².