France vs South Sudan

South Sudan and France are almost exactly the same size.

FranceSouth SudanFrance moved onto South Sudan · Equal-area projection
1.0×
France is 1.0× the area of South Sudan. Put the other way, South Sudan is 1.0× the size of France.
FranceSouth Sudan
Area643,801 km²644,329 km²
Population68,720,33712,188,788
Density107 / km²19 / km²
CapitalParisJuba
RegionWestern EuropeEastern Africa
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours106

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. France sits at about 43°N and is stretched to 1.87× its true area; South Sudan at 7° N is stretched to 1.02×. That difference is why France looks so much bigger than it is next to South Sudan. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is France bigger than South Sudan?
No. France and South Sudan are almost exactly the same size. France covers 643,801 km² and South Sudan covers 644,329 km².
How many times does France fit into South Sudan?
About 1.0 times: South Sudan has 1.0× the area of France.
Why do France and South Sudan look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. France is drawn about 1.87× its true area there and South Sudan about 1.02×. That is why France looks so much bigger than it really is next to South Sudan. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, France or South Sudan?
France: 68,720,337 people against 12,188,788. Density: France 107 per km², South Sudan 19 per km².