Finland vs Laos

Finland is 43% larger than Laos.

FinlandLaosFinland moved onto Laos · Equal-area projection
1.43×
Finland is 1.43× the area of Laos.
FinlandLaos
Area338,478 km²236,800 km²
Population5,646,4367,873,046
Density17 / km²33 / km²
CapitalHelsinkiVientiane
RegionNorthern EuropeSouth-Eastern Asia
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours35

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Finland sits at about 64°N and is stretched to 5.3× its true area; Laos at 18° N is stretched to 1.11×. That difference is why Finland looks so much bigger than it is next to Laos. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Finland bigger than Laos?
Yes. Finland is 43% larger than Laos. Finland covers 338,478 km² and Laos covers 236,800 km².
How many times does Laos fit into Finland?
About 1.4 times: Finland has 1.43× the area of Laos.
Why do Finland and Laos look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Finland is drawn about 5.3× its true area there and Laos about 1.11×. That is why Finland looks so much bigger than it really is next to Laos. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Finland or Laos?
Laos: 7,873,046 people against 5,646,436. Density: Finland 17 per km², Laos 33 per km².