Gambia vs Vanuatu

Vanuatu is 8% larger than Gambia.

GambiaVanuatuGambia moved onto Vanuatu · Equal-area projection
0.93×
Gambia is 0.93× the area of Vanuatu. Put the other way, Vanuatu is 1.08× the size of Gambia.
GambiaVanuatu
Area11,300 km²12,190 km²
Population2,822,093335,169
Density250 / km²27 / km²
CapitalBanjulPort-Vila
RegionWestern AfricaMelanesia
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours10

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Gambia sits at about 13°N and is stretched to 1.06× its true area; Vanuatu at 16° S is stretched to 1.08×. Here the two are distorted about the same amount, so Mercator gets this pair roughly right. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Gambia bigger than Vanuatu?
No. Gambia is 7% smaller than Vanuatu. Gambia covers 11,300 km² and Vanuatu covers 12,190 km².
How many times does Gambia fit into Vanuatu?
About 1.1 times: Vanuatu has 1.08× the area of Gambia.
Why do Gambia and Vanuatu look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Gambia is drawn about 1.06× its true area there and Vanuatu about 1.08×. For this pair the distortion is similar, so Mercator gets the comparison roughly right. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Gambia or Vanuatu?
Gambia: 2,822,093 people against 335,169. Density: Gambia 250 per km², Vanuatu 27 per km².