Laos vs Tajikistan

Laos is 65% larger than Tajikistan. Tajikistan would fit into Laos about 1.7 times.

LaosTajikistanLaos moved onto Tajikistan · Equal-area projection
1.65×
Laos is 1.65× the area of Tajikistan.
LaosTajikistan
Area236,800 km²143,100 km²
Population7,873,04610,786,734
Density33 / km²75 / km²
CapitalVientianeDushanbe
RegionSouth-Eastern AsiaCentral Asia
CoastlineLandlockedLandlocked
Neighbours54

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; Tajikistan at 39° N is stretched to 1.63×. That difference is why Tajikistan 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 Tajikistan?
Yes. Laos is 65% larger than Tajikistan. Laos covers 236,800 km² and Tajikistan covers 143,100 km².
How many times does Tajikistan fit into Laos?
About 1.7 times: Laos has 1.65× the area of Tajikistan.
Why do Laos and Tajikistan 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 Tajikistan about 1.63×. That is why Tajikistan 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 Tajikistan?
Tajikistan: 10,786,734 people against 7,873,046. Density: Laos 33 per km², Tajikistan 75 per km².