Iraq vs Somalia

Somalia is 46% larger than Iraq.

IraqSomaliaIraq moved onto Somalia · Equal-area projection
0.69×
Iraq is 0.69× the area of Somalia. Put the other way, Somalia is 1.46× the size of Iraq.
IraqSomalia
Area437,072 km²637,657 km²
Population47,020,77419,654,739
Density108 / km²31 / km²
CapitalBaghdadMogadishu
RegionWestern AsiaEastern Africa
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours63

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; Somalia at 5° N is stretched to 1.01×. 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 Somalia?
No. Iraq is 31% smaller than Somalia. Iraq covers 437,072 km² and Somalia covers 637,657 km².
How many times does Iraq fit into Somalia?
About 1.5 times: Somalia has 1.46× the area of Iraq.
Why do Iraq and Somalia 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 Somalia about 1.01×. 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 Somalia?
Iraq: 47,020,774 people against 19,654,739. Density: Iraq 108 per km², Somalia 31 per km².