Ecuador vs São Tomé and Principe

Ecuador is 257 times larger than São Tomé and Principe. São Tomé and Principe would fit into Ecuador about 257 times.

EcuadorSão Tomé and PrincipeEcuador moved onto São Tomé and Principe · Equal-area projection
257×
Ecuador is 257× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
EcuadorSão Tomé and Principe
Area257,204 km²1,001 km²
Population18,289,896240,254
Density71 / km²240 / km²
CapitalQuitoSao Tome
RegionSouth AmericaMiddle Africa
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours20

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; São Tomé and Principe at 0° N is stretched to 1.0×. 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 São Tomé and Principe?
Yes. Ecuador is 257 times larger than São Tomé and Principe. Ecuador covers 257,204 km² and São Tomé and Principe covers 1,001 km².
How many times does São Tomé and Principe fit into Ecuador?
About 257 times: Ecuador has 257× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
Why do Ecuador and São Tomé and Principe 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 São Tomé and Principe about 1.0×. 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 São Tomé and Principe?
Ecuador: 18,289,896 people against 240,254. Density: Ecuador 71 per km², São Tomé and Principe 240 per km².