Latvia vs Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka and Latvia are almost exactly the same size.

LatviaSri LankaLatvia moved onto Sri Lanka · Equal-area projection
0.98×
Latvia is 0.98× the area of Sri Lanka. Put the other way, Sri Lanka is 1.02× the size of Latvia.
LatviaSri Lanka
Area64,594 km²65,610 km²
Population1,847,78521,756,000
Density29 / km²332 / km²
CapitalRigaColombo
RegionNorthern EuropeSouthern Asia
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours40

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Latvia sits at about 57°N and is stretched to 3.35× its true area; Sri Lanka at 8° N is stretched to 1.02×. That difference is why Latvia looks so much bigger than it is next to Sri Lanka. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Latvia bigger than Sri Lanka?
No. Latvia and Sri Lanka are almost exactly the same size. Latvia covers 64,594 km² and Sri Lanka covers 65,610 km².
How many times does Latvia fit into Sri Lanka?
About 1.0 times: Sri Lanka has 1.02× the area of Latvia.
Why do Latvia and Sri Lanka look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Latvia is drawn about 3.35× its true area there and Sri Lanka about 1.02×. That is why Latvia looks so much bigger than it really is next to Sri Lanka. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Latvia or Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka: 21,756,000 people against 1,847,785. Density: Latvia 29 per km², Sri Lanka 332 per km².