Finland vs New Caledonia

Finland is 18.2 times larger than New Caledonia. New Caledonia would fit into Finland about 18 times.

FinlandNew CaledoniaFinland moved onto New Caledonia · Equal-area projection
18.2×
Finland is 18.2× the area of New Caledonia.
FinlandNew Caledonia
Area338,478 km²18,576 km²
Population5,646,436295,333
Density17 / km²16 / km²
CapitalHelsinkiNoum'ea
RegionNorthern EuropeMelanesia
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours30

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; New Caledonia at 21° S is stretched to 1.15×. That difference is why Finland looks so much bigger than it is next to New Caledonia. 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 New Caledonia?
Yes. Finland is 18.2 times larger than New Caledonia. Finland covers 338,478 km² and New Caledonia covers 18,576 km².
How many times does New Caledonia fit into Finland?
About 18 times: Finland has 18.2× the area of New Caledonia.
Why do Finland and New Caledonia 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 New Caledonia about 1.15×. That is why Finland looks so much bigger than it really is next to New Caledonia. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Finland or New Caledonia?
Finland: 5,646,436 people against 295,333. Density: Finland 17 per km², New Caledonia 16 per km².