Laos vs São Tomé and Principe

Laos is 237 times larger than São Tomé and Principe. São Tomé and Principe would fit into Laos about 237 times.

LaosSão Tomé and PrincipeLaos moved onto São Tomé and Principe · Equal-area projection
237×
Laos is 237× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
LaosSão Tomé and Principe
Area236,800 km²1,001 km²
Population7,873,046240,254
Density33 / km²240 / km²
CapitalVientianeSao Tome
RegionSouth-Eastern AsiaMiddle Africa
CoastlineLandlockedHas a coast
Neighbours50

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; São Tomé and Principe at 0° N is stretched to 1.0×. 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 São Tomé and Principe?
Yes. Laos is 237 times larger than São Tomé and Principe. Laos covers 236,800 km² and São Tomé and Principe covers 1,001 km².
How many times does São Tomé and Principe fit into Laos?
About 237 times: Laos has 237× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
Why do Laos and São Tomé and Principe 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 São Tomé and Principe about 1.0×. 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 São Tomé and Principe?
Laos: 7,873,046 people against 240,254. Density: Laos 33 per km², São Tomé and Principe 240 per km².