Iraq vs New Zealand

Iraq is 63% larger than New Zealand. New Zealand would fit into Iraq about 1.6 times.

IraqNew ZealandIraq moved onto New Zealand · Equal-area projection
1.63×
Iraq is 1.63× the area of New Zealand.
IraqNew Zealand
Area437,072 km²268,021 km²
Population47,020,7745,324,700
Density108 / km²20 / km²
CapitalBaghdadWellington
RegionWestern AsiaAustralia and New Zealand
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours60

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; New Zealand at 42° S is stretched to 1.79×. 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 New Zealand?
Yes. Iraq is 63% larger than New Zealand. Iraq covers 437,072 km² and New Zealand covers 268,021 km².
How many times does New Zealand fit into Iraq?
About 1.6 times: Iraq has 1.63× the area of New Zealand.
Why do Iraq and New Zealand 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 New Zealand about 1.79×. 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 New Zealand?
Iraq: 47,020,774 people against 5,324,700. Density: Iraq 108 per km², New Zealand 20 per km².