Malawi vs Switzerland

Malawi is 2.87 times larger than Switzerland. Switzerland would fit into Malawi about 2.9 times.

MalawiSwitzerlandMalawi moved onto Switzerland · Equal-area projection
2.87×
Malawi is 2.87× the area of Switzerland.
MalawiSwitzerland
Area118,484 km²41,291 km²
Population22,216,1209,092,436
Density188 / km²220 / km²
CapitalLilongweBern
RegionEastern AfricaWestern Europe
CoastlineLandlockedLandlocked
Neighbours35

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Malawi sits at about 13°S and is stretched to 1.06× its true area; Switzerland at 47° N is stretched to 2.13×. That difference is why Switzerland looks so much bigger than it is next to Malawi. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Malawi bigger than Switzerland?
Yes. Malawi is 2.87 times larger than Switzerland. Malawi covers 118,484 km² and Switzerland covers 41,291 km².
How many times does Switzerland fit into Malawi?
About 2.9 times: Malawi has 2.87× the area of Switzerland.
Why do Malawi and Switzerland look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Malawi is drawn about 1.06× its true area there and Switzerland about 2.13×. That is why Switzerland looks so much bigger than it really is next to Malawi. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Malawi or Switzerland?
Malawi: 22,216,120 people against 9,092,436. Density: Malawi 188 per km², Switzerland 220 per km².