Kuwait vs Vanuatu

Kuwait is 46% larger than Vanuatu.

KuwaitVanuatuKuwait moved onto Vanuatu · Equal-area projection
1.46×
Kuwait is 1.46× the area of Vanuatu.
KuwaitVanuatu
Area17,818 km²12,190 km²
Population4,865,298335,169
Density273 / km²27 / km²
CapitalKuwait CityPort-Vila
RegionWestern AsiaMelanesia
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours20

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Kuwait sits at about 29°N and is stretched to 1.32× its true area; Vanuatu at 16° S is stretched to 1.08×. 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 Kuwait bigger than Vanuatu?
Yes. Kuwait is 46% larger than Vanuatu. Kuwait covers 17,818 km² and Vanuatu covers 12,190 km².
How many times does Vanuatu fit into Kuwait?
About 1.5 times: Kuwait has 1.46× the area of Vanuatu.
Why do Kuwait and Vanuatu look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Kuwait is drawn about 1.32× its true area there and Vanuatu about 1.08×. 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, Kuwait or Vanuatu?
Kuwait: 4,865,298 people against 335,169. Density: Kuwait 273 per km², Vanuatu 27 per km².