Laos vs Panama

Laos is 3.19 times larger than Panama. Panama would fit into Laos about 3.2 times.

LaosPanamaLaos moved onto Panama · Equal-area projection
3.19×
Laos is 3.19× the area of Panama.
LaosPanama
Area236,800 km²74,177 km²
Population7,873,0464,571,189
Density33 / km²62 / km²
CapitalVientianePanama City
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; Panama at 9° N is stretched to 1.02×. 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 Panama?
Yes. Laos is 3.19 times larger than Panama. Laos covers 236,800 km² and Panama covers 74,177 km².
How many times does Panama fit into Laos?
About 3.2 times: Laos has 3.19× the area of Panama.
Why do Laos and Panama 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 Panama about 1.02×. 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 Panama?
Laos: 7,873,046 people against 4,571,189. Density: Laos 33 per km², Panama 62 per km².