Libya vs Malawi

Libya is 14.9 times larger than Malawi. Malawi would fit into Libya about 15 times.

LibyaMalawiLibya moved onto Malawi · Equal-area projection
14.9×
Libya is 14.9× the area of Malawi.
LibyaMalawi
Area1,759,541 km²118,484 km²
Population7,458,55522,216,120
Density4.2 / km²188 / km²
CapitalTripoliLilongwe
RegionNorthern AfricaEastern Africa
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours63

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Libya sits at about 27°N and is stretched to 1.26× its true area; Malawi at 13° S is stretched to 1.06×. 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 Libya bigger than Malawi?
Yes. Libya is 14.9 times larger than Malawi. Libya covers 1,759,541 km² and Malawi covers 118,484 km².
How many times does Malawi fit into Libya?
About 15 times: Libya has 14.9× the area of Malawi.
Why do Libya and Malawi look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Libya is drawn about 1.26× its true area there and Malawi about 1.06×. 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, Libya or Malawi?
Malawi: 22,216,120 people against 7,458,555. Density: Libya 4.2 per km², Malawi 188 per km².