Gabon vs New Zealand

New Zealand and Gabon are almost exactly the same size.

GabonNew ZealandGabon moved onto New Zealand · Equal-area projection
1.0×
Gabon is 1.0× the area of New Zealand. Put the other way, New Zealand is 1.0× the size of Gabon.
GabonNew Zealand
Area267,667 km²268,021 km²
Population2,593,1305,324,700
Density9.7 / km²20 / km²
CapitalLibrevilleWellington
RegionMiddle AfricaAustralia and New Zealand
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. Gabon sits at about 1°S and is stretched to 1.0× its true area; New Zealand at 42° S is stretched to 1.79×. That difference is why New Zealand looks so much bigger than it is next to Gabon. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Gabon bigger than New Zealand?
No. Gabon and New Zealand are almost exactly the same size. Gabon covers 267,667 km² and New Zealand covers 268,021 km².
How many times does Gabon fit into New Zealand?
About 1.0 times: New Zealand has 1.0× the area of Gabon.
Why do Gabon and New Zealand look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Gabon is drawn about 1.0× its true area there and New Zealand about 1.79×. That is why New Zealand looks so much bigger than it really is next to Gabon. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Gabon or New Zealand?
New Zealand: 5,324,700 people against 2,593,130. Density: Gabon 9.7 per km², New Zealand 20 per km².