Laos vs Sierra Leone

Laos is 3.3 times larger than Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone would fit into Laos about 3.3 times.

LaosSierra LeoneLaos moved onto Sierra Leone · Equal-area projection
3.3×
Laos is 3.3× the area of Sierra Leone.
LaosSierra Leone
Area236,800 km²71,740 km²
Population7,873,0468,819,794
Density33 / km²123 / km²
CapitalVientianeFreetown
RegionSouth-Eastern AsiaWestern Africa
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; Sierra Leone 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 Sierra Leone?
Yes. Laos is 3.3 times larger than Sierra Leone. Laos covers 236,800 km² and Sierra Leone covers 71,740 km².
How many times does Sierra Leone fit into Laos?
About 3.3 times: Laos has 3.3× the area of Sierra Leone.
Why do Laos and Sierra Leone 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 Sierra Leone 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 Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone: 8,819,794 people against 7,873,046. Density: Laos 33 per km², Sierra Leone 123 per km².