New Caledonia vs North Macedonia

North Macedonia is 38% larger than New Caledonia.

New CaledoniaNorth MacedoniaNew Caledonia moved onto North Macedonia · Equal-area projection
0.72×
New Caledonia is 0.72× the area of North Macedonia. Put the other way, North Macedonia is 1.38× the size of New Caledonia.
New CaledoniaNorth Macedonia
Area18,576 km²25,713 km²
Population295,3331,820,909
Density16 / km²71 / km²
CapitalNoum'eaSkopje
RegionMelanesiaSouthern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours05

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. New Caledonia sits at about 21°S and is stretched to 1.15× 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 New Caledonia. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is New Caledonia bigger than North Macedonia?
No. New Caledonia is 28% smaller than North Macedonia. New Caledonia covers 18,576 km² and North Macedonia covers 25,713 km².
How many times does New Caledonia fit into North Macedonia?
About 1.4 times: North Macedonia has 1.38× the area of New Caledonia.
Why do New Caledonia and North Macedonia look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. New Caledonia is drawn about 1.15× 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 New Caledonia. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, New Caledonia or North Macedonia?
North Macedonia: 1,820,909 people against 295,333. Density: New Caledonia 16 per km², North Macedonia 71 per km².