French Southern and Antarctic Lands vs Northern Mariana Islands

French Southern and Antarctic Lands is 16.9 times larger than Northern Mariana Islands. Northern Mariana Islands would fit into French Southern and Antarctic Lands about 17 times.

French Southern and Antarctic LandsNorthern Mariana IslandsFrench Southern and Antarctic Lands moved onto Northern Mariana Islands · Equal-area projection
16.9×
French Southern and Antarctic Lands is 16.9× the area of Northern Mariana Islands.
French Southern and Antarctic LandsNorthern Mariana Islands
Area7,829 km²464 km²
Population19643,541
Density0.03 / km²94 / km²
CapitalPort-aux-FrançaisSaipan
RegionSeven seas (open ocean)Micronesia
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours00

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. French Southern and Antarctic Lands sits at about 49°S and is stretched to 2.35× its true area; Northern Mariana Islands at 16° N is stretched to 1.08×. That difference is why French Southern and Antarctic Lands looks so much bigger than it is next to Northern Mariana Islands. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is French Southern and Antarctic Lands bigger than Northern Mariana Islands?
Yes. French Southern and Antarctic Lands is 16.9 times larger than Northern Mariana Islands. French Southern and Antarctic Lands covers 7,829 km² and Northern Mariana Islands covers 464 km².
How many times does Northern Mariana Islands fit into French Southern and Antarctic Lands?
About 17 times: French Southern and Antarctic Lands has 16.9× the area of Northern Mariana Islands.
Why do French Southern and Antarctic Lands and Northern Mariana Islands look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. French Southern and Antarctic Lands is drawn about 2.35× its true area there and Northern Mariana Islands about 1.08×. That is why French Southern and Antarctic Lands looks so much bigger than it really is next to Northern Mariana Islands. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, French Southern and Antarctic Lands or Northern Mariana Islands?
Northern Mariana Islands: 43,541 people against 196. Density: French Southern and Antarctic Lands 0.03 per km², Northern Mariana Islands 94 per km².