New Zealand vs Sierra Leone

New Zealand is 3.74 times larger than Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone would fit into New Zealand about 3.7 times.

New ZealandSierra LeoneNew Zealand moved onto Sierra Leone · Equal-area projection
3.74×
New Zealand is 3.74× the area of Sierra Leone.
New ZealandSierra Leone
Area268,021 km²71,740 km²
Population5,324,7008,819,794
Density20 / km²123 / km²
CapitalWellingtonFreetown
RegionAustralia and New ZealandWestern Africa
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours02

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. New Zealand sits at about 42°S and is stretched to 1.79× its true area; Sierra Leone at 9° N is stretched to 1.02×. That difference is why New Zealand looks so much bigger than it is next to Sierra Leone. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is New Zealand bigger than Sierra Leone?
Yes. New Zealand is 3.74 times larger than Sierra Leone. New Zealand covers 268,021 km² and Sierra Leone covers 71,740 km².
How many times does Sierra Leone fit into New Zealand?
About 3.7 times: New Zealand has 3.74× the area of Sierra Leone.
Why do New Zealand and Sierra Leone look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. New Zealand is drawn about 1.79× its true area there and Sierra Leone about 1.02×. That is why New Zealand looks so much bigger than it really is next to Sierra Leone. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, New Zealand or Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone: 8,819,794 people against 5,324,700. Density: New Zealand 20 per km², Sierra Leone 123 per km².