Laos vs New Zealand
New Zealand is 13% larger than Laos.
LaosNew ZealandLaos moved onto New Zealand · Equal-area projection
0.88×
Laos is 0.88× the area of New Zealand. Put the other way, New Zealand is 1.13× the size of Laos.
| Laos | New Zealand | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 236,800 km² | 268,021 km² |
| Population | 7,873,046 | 5,324,700 |
| Density | 33 / km² | 20 / km² |
| Capital | Vientiane | Wellington |
| Region | South-Eastern Asia | Australia and New Zealand |
| Coastline | Landlocked | Has a coast |
| Neighbours | 5 | 0 |
Why the map you grew up with disagrees
On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Laos sits at about 18°N and is stretched to 1.11× its true area; New Zealand at 42° S is stretched to 1.79×. That difference is why New Zealand 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 Laos bigger than New Zealand?
- No. Laos is 12% smaller than New Zealand. Laos covers 236,800 km² and New Zealand covers 268,021 km².
- How many times does Laos fit into New Zealand?
- About 1.1 times: New Zealand has 1.13× the area of Laos.
- Why do Laos and New Zealand look different on Google Maps?
- Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Laos is drawn about 1.11× its true area there and New Zealand about 1.79×. That is why New Zealand 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, Laos or New Zealand?
- Laos: 7,873,046 people against 5,324,700. Density: Laos 33 per km², New Zealand 20 per km².