Italy vs Laos

Italy is 28% larger than Laos.

ItalyLaosItaly moved onto Laos · Equal-area projection
1.28×
Italy is 1.28× the area of Laos.
ItalyLaos
Area302,068 km²236,800 km²
Population58,915,6567,873,046
Density195 / km²33 / km²
CapitalRomeVientiane
RegionSouthern EuropeSouth-Eastern Asia
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours65

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Italy sits at about 43°N and is stretched to 1.85× its true area; Laos at 18° N is stretched to 1.11×. That difference is why Italy looks so much bigger than it is next to Laos. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Italy bigger than Laos?
Yes. Italy is 28% larger than Laos. Italy covers 302,068 km² and Laos covers 236,800 km².
How many times does Laos fit into Italy?
About 1.3 times: Italy has 1.28× the area of Laos.
Why do Italy and Laos look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Italy is drawn about 1.85× its true area there and Laos about 1.11×. That is why Italy looks so much bigger than it really is next to Laos. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Italy or Laos?
Italy: 58,915,656 people against 7,873,046. Density: Italy 195 per km², Laos 33 per km².