Iraq vs Laos
Iraq is 85% larger than Laos. Laos would fit into Iraq about 1.8 times.
IraqLaosIraq moved onto Laos · Equal-area projection
1.85×
Iraq is 1.85× the area of Laos.
| Iraq | Laos | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 437,072 km² | 236,800 km² |
| Population | 47,020,774 | 7,873,046 |
| Density | 108 / km² | 33 / km² |
| Capital | Baghdad | Vientiane |
| Region | Western Asia | South-Eastern Asia |
| Coastline | Has a coast | Landlocked |
| Neighbours | 6 | 5 |
Why the map you grew up with disagrees
On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Iraq sits at about 33°N and is stretched to 1.42× its true area; Laos at 18° N is stretched to 1.11×. 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 Iraq bigger than Laos?
- Yes. Iraq is 85% larger than Laos. Iraq covers 437,072 km² and Laos covers 236,800 km².
- How many times does Laos fit into Iraq?
- About 1.8 times: Iraq has 1.85× the area of Laos.
- Why do Iraq and Laos look different on Google Maps?
- Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Iraq is drawn about 1.42× its true area there and Laos about 1.11×. 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, Iraq or Laos?
- Iraq: 47,020,774 people against 7,873,046. Density: Iraq 108 per km², Laos 33 per km².