Mali vs North Korea

Mali is 10.3 times larger than North Korea. North Korea would fit into Mali about 10 times.

MaliNorth KoreaMali moved onto North Korea · Equal-area projection
10.3×
Mali is 10.3× the area of North Korea.
MaliNorth Korea
Area1,240,192 km²120,540 km²
Population25,198,82126,571,036
Density20 / km²220 / km²
CapitalBamakoPyongyang
RegionWestern AfricaEastern Asia
CoastlineLandlockedHas a coast
Neighbours73

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Mali sits at about 17°N and is stretched to 1.1× 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 Mali. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Mali bigger than North Korea?
Yes. Mali is 10.3 times larger than North Korea. Mali covers 1,240,192 km² and North Korea covers 120,540 km².
How many times does North Korea fit into Mali?
About 10 times: Mali has 10.3× the area of North Korea.
Why do Mali and North Korea look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Mali is drawn about 1.1× 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 Mali. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Mali or North Korea?
North Korea: 26,571,036 people against 25,198,821. Density: Mali 20 per km², North Korea 220 per km².