Curaçao vs Heard and McDonald Islands

Curaçao is 21% larger than Heard and McDonald Islands.

CuraçaoHeard and McDonald IslandsCuraçao moved onto Heard and McDonald Islands · Equal-area projection
1.21×
Curaçao is 1.21× the area of Heard and McDonald Islands.
CuraçaoHeard and McDonald Islands
Area444 km²368 km²
Population156,263
Density352 / km²
CapitalWillemstad
RegionCaribbeanSeven seas (open ocean)
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours00

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Curaçao sits at about 12°N and is stretched to 1.05× its true area; Heard and McDonald Islands at 53° S is stretched to 2.77×. That difference is why Heard and McDonald Islands looks so much bigger than it is next to Curaçao. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Curaçao bigger than Heard and McDonald Islands?
Yes. Curaçao is 21% larger than Heard and McDonald Islands. Curaçao covers 444 km² and Heard and McDonald Islands covers 368 km².
How many times does Heard and McDonald Islands fit into Curaçao?
About 1.2 times: Curaçao has 1.21× the area of Heard and McDonald Islands.
Why do Curaçao and Heard and McDonald Islands look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Curaçao is drawn about 1.05× its true area there and Heard and McDonald Islands about 2.77×. That is why Heard and McDonald Islands looks so much bigger than it really is next to Curaçao. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.