Ecuador vs Malawi

Ecuador is 2.17 times larger than Malawi. Malawi would fit into Ecuador about 2.2 times.

EcuadorMalawiEcuador moved onto Malawi · Equal-area projection
2.17×
Ecuador is 2.17× the area of Malawi.
EcuadorMalawi
Area257,204 km²118,484 km²
Population18,289,89622,216,120
Density71 / km²188 / km²
CapitalQuitoLilongwe
RegionSouth AmericaEastern Africa
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours23

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Ecuador sits at about 1°S and is stretched to 1.0× its true area; Malawi at 13° S is stretched to 1.06×. 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 Ecuador bigger than Malawi?
Yes. Ecuador is 2.17 times larger than Malawi. Ecuador covers 257,204 km² and Malawi covers 118,484 km².
How many times does Malawi fit into Ecuador?
About 2.2 times: Ecuador has 2.17× the area of Malawi.
Why do Ecuador and Malawi look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Ecuador is drawn about 1.0× its true area there and Malawi about 1.06×. 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, Ecuador or Malawi?
Malawi: 22,216,120 people against 18,289,896. Density: Ecuador 71 per km², Malawi 188 per km².