Madagascar vs North Korea

Madagascar is 4.87 times larger than North Korea. North Korea would fit into Madagascar about 4.9 times.

MadagascarNorth KoreaMadagascar moved onto North Korea · Equal-area projection
4.87×
Madagascar is 4.87× the area of North Korea.
MadagascarNorth Korea
Area587,295 km²120,540 km²
Population32,740,67826,571,036
Density56 / km²220 / km²
CapitalAntananarivoPyongyang
RegionEastern AfricaEastern Asia
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours03

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Madagascar sits at about 19°S and is stretched to 1.12× its true area; North Korea at 40° N is stretched to 1.71×. That difference is why North Korea looks so much bigger than it is next to Madagascar. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Madagascar bigger than North Korea?
Yes. Madagascar is 4.87 times larger than North Korea. Madagascar covers 587,295 km² and North Korea covers 120,540 km².
How many times does North Korea fit into Madagascar?
About 4.9 times: Madagascar has 4.87× the area of North Korea.
Why do Madagascar and North Korea look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Madagascar is drawn about 1.12× its true area there and North Korea about 1.71×. That is why North Korea looks so much bigger than it really is next to Madagascar. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Madagascar or North Korea?
Madagascar: 32,740,678 people against 26,571,036. Density: Madagascar 56 per km², North Korea 220 per km².