Laos vs Switzerland
Laos is 5.73 times larger than Switzerland. Switzerland would fit into Laos about 5.7 times.
LaosSwitzerlandLaos moved onto Switzerland · Equal-area projection
5.73×
Laos is 5.73× the area of Switzerland.
| Laos | Switzerland | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 236,800 km² | 41,291 km² |
| Population | 7,873,046 | 9,092,436 |
| Density | 33 / km² | 220 / km² |
| Capital | Vientiane | Bern |
| Region | South-Eastern Asia | Western Europe |
| Coastline | Landlocked | Landlocked |
| Neighbours | 5 | 5 |
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; Switzerland at 47° N is stretched to 2.13×. That difference is why Switzerland 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 Switzerland?
- Yes. Laos is 5.73 times larger than Switzerland. Laos covers 236,800 km² and Switzerland covers 41,291 km².
- How many times does Switzerland fit into Laos?
- About 5.7 times: Laos has 5.73× the area of Switzerland.
- Why do Laos and Switzerland 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 Switzerland about 2.13×. That is why Switzerland 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 Switzerland?
- Switzerland: 9,092,436 people against 7,873,046. Density: Laos 33 per km², Switzerland 220 per km².