Laos vs Nicaragua

Laos is 97% larger than Nicaragua. Nicaragua would fit into Laos about 2.0 times.

LaosNicaraguaLaos moved onto Nicaragua · Equal-area projection
1.97×
Laos is 1.97× the area of Nicaragua.
LaosNicaragua
Area236,800 km²120,340 km²
Population7,873,0467,007,502
Density33 / km²58 / km²
CapitalVientianeManagua
RegionSouth-Eastern AsiaCentral America
CoastlineLandlockedHas a coast
Neighbours52

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; Nicaragua at 13° N is stretched to 1.05×. 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 Laos bigger than Nicaragua?
Yes. Laos is 97% larger than Nicaragua. Laos covers 236,800 km² and Nicaragua covers 120,340 km².
How many times does Nicaragua fit into Laos?
About 2.0 times: Laos has 1.97× the area of Nicaragua.
Why do Laos and Nicaragua 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 Nicaragua about 1.05×. 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, Laos or Nicaragua?
Laos: 7,873,046 people against 7,007,502. Density: Laos 33 per km², Nicaragua 58 per km².