Croatia vs New Caledonia

Croatia is 3.05 times larger than New Caledonia. New Caledonia would fit into Croatia about 3.0 times.

CroatiaNew CaledoniaCroatia moved onto New Caledonia · Equal-area projection
3.05×
Croatia is 3.05× the area of New Caledonia.
CroatiaNew Caledonia
Area56,594 km²18,576 km²
Population3,876,200295,333
Density68 / km²16 / km²
CapitalZagrebNoum'ea
RegionSouthern EuropeMelanesia
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours50

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; New Caledonia at 21° S is stretched to 1.15×. That difference is why Croatia looks so much bigger than it is next to New Caledonia. 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 New Caledonia?
Yes. Croatia is 3.05 times larger than New Caledonia. Croatia covers 56,594 km² and New Caledonia covers 18,576 km².
How many times does New Caledonia fit into Croatia?
About 3.0 times: Croatia has 3.05× the area of New Caledonia.
Why do Croatia and New Caledonia 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 New Caledonia about 1.15×. That is why Croatia looks so much bigger than it really is next to New Caledonia. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Croatia or New Caledonia?
Croatia: 3,876,200 people against 295,333. Density: Croatia 68 per km², New Caledonia 16 per km².