Netherlands vs North Korea

North Korea is 2.86 times larger than Netherlands. Netherlands would fit into North Korea about 2.9 times.

NetherlandsNorth KoreaNetherlands moved onto North Korea · Equal-area projection
0.35×
Netherlands is 0.35× the area of North Korea. Put the other way, North Korea is 2.86× the size of Netherlands.
NetherlandsNorth Korea
Area42,201 km²120,540 km²
Population18,087,63326,571,036
Density429 / km²220 / km²
CapitalAmsterdamPyongyang
RegionWestern EuropeEastern Asia
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours23

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Netherlands sits at about 52°N and is stretched to 2.67× its true area; North Korea at 40° N is stretched to 1.71×. That difference is why Netherlands looks so much bigger than it is next to North Korea. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Netherlands bigger than North Korea?
No. Netherlands is 2.86 times smaller than North Korea. Netherlands covers 42,201 km² and North Korea covers 120,540 km².
How many times does Netherlands fit into North Korea?
About 2.9 times: North Korea has 2.86× the area of Netherlands.
Why do Netherlands and North Korea look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Netherlands is drawn about 2.67× its true area there and North Korea about 1.71×. That is why Netherlands looks so much bigger than it really is next to North Korea. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Netherlands or North Korea?
North Korea: 26,571,036 people against 18,087,633. Density: Netherlands 429 per km², North Korea 220 per km².