Maldives vs Malta

Malta is 6% larger than Maldives.

MaldivesMaltaMaldives moved onto Malta · Equal-area projection
0.94×
Maldives is 0.94× the area of Malta. Put the other way, Malta is 1.06× the size of Maldives.
MaldivesMalta
Area298 km²316 km²
Population529,676579,704
Density1,777 / km²1,835 / km²
CapitalMaleValletta
RegionSouthern AsiaSouthern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours00

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Maldives sits at about 4°N and is stretched to 1.0× its true area; Malta at 36° N is stretched to 1.52×. That difference is why Malta looks so much bigger than it is next to Maldives. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Maldives bigger than Malta?
No. Maldives is 6% smaller than Malta. Maldives covers 298 km² and Malta covers 316 km².
How many times does Maldives fit into Malta?
About 1.1 times: Malta has 1.06× the area of Maldives.
Why do Maldives and Malta look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Maldives is drawn about 1.0× its true area there and Malta about 1.52×. That is why Malta looks so much bigger than it really is next to Maldives. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Maldives or Malta?
Malta: 579,704 people against 529,676. Density: Maldives 1,777 per km², Malta 1,835 per km².