Malawi vs Tajikistan

Tajikistan is 21% larger than Malawi.

MalawiTajikistanMalawi moved onto Tajikistan · Equal-area projection
0.83×
Malawi is 0.83× the area of Tajikistan. Put the other way, Tajikistan is 1.21× the size of Malawi.
MalawiTajikistan
Area118,484 km²143,100 km²
Population22,216,12010,786,734
Density188 / km²75 / km²
CapitalLilongweDushanbe
RegionEastern AfricaCentral Asia
CoastlineLandlockedLandlocked
Neighbours34

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; Tajikistan at 39° N is stretched to 1.63×. That difference is why Tajikistan 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 Tajikistan?
No. Malawi is 17% smaller than Tajikistan. Malawi covers 118,484 km² and Tajikistan covers 143,100 km².
How many times does Malawi fit into Tajikistan?
About 1.2 times: Tajikistan has 1.21× the area of Malawi.
Why do Malawi and Tajikistan 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 Tajikistan about 1.63×. That is why Tajikistan 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 Tajikistan?
Malawi: 22,216,120 people against 10,786,734. Density: Malawi 188 per km², Tajikistan 75 per km².