Italy vs Sierra Leone

Italy is 4.21 times larger than Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone would fit into Italy about 4.2 times.

ItalySierra LeoneItaly moved onto Sierra Leone · Equal-area projection
4.21×
Italy is 4.21× the area of Sierra Leone.
ItalySierra Leone
Area302,068 km²71,740 km²
Population58,915,6568,819,794
Density195 / km²123 / km²
CapitalRomeFreetown
RegionSouthern EuropeWestern Africa
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours62

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; Sierra Leone at 9° N is stretched to 1.02×. That difference is why Italy looks so much bigger than it is next to Sierra Leone. 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 Sierra Leone?
Yes. Italy is 4.21 times larger than Sierra Leone. Italy covers 302,068 km² and Sierra Leone covers 71,740 km².
How many times does Sierra Leone fit into Italy?
About 4.2 times: Italy has 4.21× the area of Sierra Leone.
Why do Italy and Sierra Leone 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 Sierra Leone about 1.02×. That is why Italy looks so much bigger than it really is next to Sierra Leone. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Italy or Sierra Leone?
Italy: 58,915,656 people against 8,819,794. Density: Italy 195 per km², Sierra Leone 123 per km².