Libya vs São Tomé and Principe

Libya is 1,758 times larger than São Tomé and Principe. São Tomé and Principe would fit into Libya about 1758 times.

LibyaSão Tomé and PrincipeLibya moved onto São Tomé and Principe · Equal-area projection
1,758×
Libya is 1,758× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
LibyaSão Tomé and Principe
Area1,759,541 km²1,001 km²
Population7,458,555240,254
Density4.2 / km²240 / km²
CapitalTripoliSao Tome
RegionNorthern AfricaMiddle Africa
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours60

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; São Tomé and Principe at 0° N is stretched to 1.0×. 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 São Tomé and Principe?
Yes. Libya is 1,758 times larger than São Tomé and Principe. Libya covers 1,759,541 km² and São Tomé and Principe covers 1,001 km².
How many times does São Tomé and Principe fit into Libya?
About 1758 times: Libya has 1,758× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
Why do Libya and São Tomé and Principe 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 São Tomé and Principe about 1.0×. 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 São Tomé and Principe?
Libya: 7,458,555 people against 240,254. Density: Libya 4.2 per km², São Tomé and Principe 240 per km².