Heard and McDonald Islands vs Niue

Heard and McDonald Islands is 42% larger than Niue.

Heard and McDonald IslandsNiueHeard and McDonald Islands moved onto Niue · Equal-area projection
1.42×
Heard and McDonald Islands is 1.42× the area of Niue.
Heard and McDonald IslandsNiue
Area368 km²260 km²
Population1,821
Density7.0 / km²
CapitalAlofi
RegionSeven seas (open ocean)Polynesia
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. Heard and McDonald Islands sits at about 53°S and is stretched to 2.77× its true area; Niue at 19° S is stretched to 1.12×. That difference is why Heard and McDonald Islands looks so much bigger than it is next to Niue. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Heard and McDonald Islands bigger than Niue?
Yes. Heard and McDonald Islands is 42% larger than Niue. Heard and McDonald Islands covers 368 km² and Niue covers 260 km².
How many times does Niue fit into Heard and McDonald Islands?
About 1.4 times: Heard and McDonald Islands has 1.42× the area of Niue.
Why do Heard and McDonald Islands and Niue look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Heard and McDonald Islands is drawn about 2.77× its true area there and Niue about 1.12×. That is why Heard and McDonald Islands looks so much bigger than it really is next to Niue. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.