Mauritania vs North Macedonia

Mauritania is 40.1 times larger than North Macedonia. North Macedonia would fit into Mauritania about 40 times.

MauritaniaNorth MacedoniaMauritania moved onto North Macedonia · Equal-area projection
40.1×
Mauritania is 40.1× the area of North Macedonia.
MauritaniaNorth Macedonia
Area1,030,700 km²25,713 km²
Population5,315,0651,820,909
Density5.2 / km²71 / km²
CapitalNouakchottSkopje
RegionWestern AfricaSouthern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours45

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Mauritania sits at about 20°N and is stretched to 1.14× its true area; North Macedonia at 42° N is stretched to 1.79×. That difference is why North Macedonia looks so much bigger than it is next to Mauritania. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Mauritania bigger than North Macedonia?
Yes. Mauritania is 40.1 times larger than North Macedonia. Mauritania covers 1,030,700 km² and North Macedonia covers 25,713 km².
How many times does North Macedonia fit into Mauritania?
About 40 times: Mauritania has 40.1× the area of North Macedonia.
Why do Mauritania and North Macedonia look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Mauritania is drawn about 1.14× its true area there and North Macedonia about 1.79×. That is why North Macedonia looks so much bigger than it really is next to Mauritania. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Mauritania or North Macedonia?
Mauritania: 5,315,065 people against 1,820,909. Density: Mauritania 5.2 per km², North Macedonia 71 per km².