Japan vs Zambia

Zambia is 99% larger than Japan. Japan would fit into Zambia about 2.0 times.

JapanZambiaJapan moved onto Zambia · Equal-area projection
0.5×
Japan is 0.5× the area of Zambia. Put the other way, Zambia is 1.99× the size of Japan.
JapanZambia
Area377,972 km²752,618 km²
Population123,366,73421,913,874
Density326 / km²29 / km²
CapitalTokyoLusaka
RegionEastern AsiaEastern Africa
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours07

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Japan sits at about 37°N and is stretched to 1.59× its true area; Zambia at 13° S is stretched to 1.06×. That difference is why Japan looks so much bigger than it is next to Zambia. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Japan bigger than Zambia?
No. Japan is 50% smaller than Zambia. Japan covers 377,972 km² and Zambia covers 752,618 km².
How many times does Japan fit into Zambia?
About 2.0 times: Zambia has 1.99× the area of Japan.
Why do Japan and Zambia look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Japan is drawn about 1.59× its true area there and Zambia about 1.06×. That is why Japan looks so much bigger than it really is next to Zambia. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Japan or Zambia?
Japan: 123,366,734 people against 21,913,874. Density: Japan 326 per km², Zambia 29 per km².