Niger vs Sierra Leone

Niger is 17.7 times larger than Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone would fit into Niger about 18 times.

NigerSierra LeoneNiger moved onto Sierra Leone · Equal-area projection
17.7×
Niger is 17.7× the area of Sierra Leone.
NigerSierra Leone
Area1,267,000 km²71,740 km²
Population27,917,8318,819,794
Density22 / km²123 / km²
CapitalNiameyFreetown
RegionWestern AfricaWestern Africa
CoastlineLandlockedHas a coast
Neighbours72

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Niger sits at about 17°N and is stretched to 1.1× its true area; Sierra Leone at 9° N is stretched to 1.02×. Here the two are distorted about the same amount, so Mercator gets this pair roughly right. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Niger bigger than Sierra Leone?
Yes. Niger is 17.7 times larger than Sierra Leone. Niger covers 1,267,000 km² and Sierra Leone covers 71,740 km².
How many times does Sierra Leone fit into Niger?
About 18 times: Niger has 17.7× the area of Sierra Leone.
Why do Niger and Sierra Leone look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Niger is drawn about 1.1× its true area there and Sierra Leone about 1.02×. For this pair the distortion is similar, so Mercator gets the comparison roughly right. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Niger or Sierra Leone?
Niger: 27,917,831 people against 8,819,794. Density: Niger 22 per km², Sierra Leone 123 per km².