DR Congo vs Libya

DR Congo is 33% larger than Libya.

DR CongoLibyaDR Congo moved onto Libya · Equal-area projection
1.33×
DR Congo is 1.33× the area of Libya.
DR CongoLibya
Area2,344,858 km²1,759,541 km²
Population112,832,4737,458,555
Density48 / km²4.2 / km²
CapitalKinshasaTripoli
RegionMiddle AfricaNorthern Africa
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; Libya at 27° N is stretched to 1.26×. Here the two are distorted about the same amount, so Mercator gets this pair roughly right. 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 Libya?
Yes. DR Congo is 33% larger than Libya. DR Congo covers 2,344,858 km² and Libya covers 1,759,541 km².
How many times does Libya fit into DR Congo?
About 1.3 times: DR Congo has 1.33× the area of Libya.
Why do DR Congo and Libya 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 Libya about 1.26×. For this pair the distortion is similar, so Mercator gets the comparison roughly right. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, DR Congo or Libya?
DR Congo: 112,832,473 people against 7,458,555. Density: DR Congo 48 per km², Libya 4.2 per km².