DR Congo vs Italy

DR Congo is 7.76 times larger than Italy. Italy would fit into DR Congo about 7.8 times.

DR CongoItalyDR Congo moved onto Italy · Equal-area projection
7.76×
DR Congo is 7.76× the area of Italy.
DR CongoItaly
Area2,344,858 km²302,068 km²
Population112,832,47358,915,656
Density48 / km²195 / km²
CapitalKinshasaRome
RegionMiddle AfricaSouthern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours96

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. DR Congo sits at about 3°S and is stretched to 1.0× its true area; Italy at 43° N is stretched to 1.85×. That difference is why Italy looks so much bigger than it is next to DR Congo. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is DR Congo bigger than Italy?
Yes. DR Congo is 7.76 times larger than Italy. DR Congo covers 2,344,858 km² and Italy covers 302,068 km².
How many times does Italy fit into DR Congo?
About 7.8 times: DR Congo has 7.76× the area of Italy.
Why do DR Congo and Italy look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. DR Congo is drawn about 1.0× its true area there and Italy about 1.85×. That is why Italy looks so much bigger than it really is next to DR Congo. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, DR Congo or Italy?
DR Congo: 112,832,473 people against 58,915,656. Density: DR Congo 48 per km², Italy 195 per km².