Croatia vs Lesotho

Croatia is 86% larger than Lesotho. Lesotho would fit into Croatia about 1.9 times.

CroatiaLesothoCroatia moved onto Lesotho · Equal-area projection
1.86×
Croatia is 1.86× the area of Lesotho.
CroatiaLesotho
Area56,594 km²30,355 km²
Population3,876,2002,363,325
Density68 / km²78 / km²
CapitalZagrebMaseru
RegionSouthern EuropeSouthern Africa
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
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; Lesotho at 30° S is stretched to 1.32×. That difference is why Croatia looks so much bigger than it is next to Lesotho. 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 Lesotho?
Yes. Croatia is 86% larger than Lesotho. Croatia covers 56,594 km² and Lesotho covers 30,355 km².
How many times does Lesotho fit into Croatia?
About 1.9 times: Croatia has 1.86× the area of Lesotho.
Why do Croatia and Lesotho 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 Lesotho about 1.32×. That is why Croatia looks so much bigger than it really is next to Lesotho. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Croatia or Lesotho?
Croatia: 3,876,200 people against 2,363,325. Density: Croatia 68 per km², Lesotho 78 per km².