Nigeria vs Spain

Nigeria is 83% larger than Spain. Spain would fit into Nigeria about 1.8 times.

NigeriaSpainNigeria moved onto Spain · Equal-area projection
1.83×
Nigeria is 1.83× the area of Spain.
NigeriaSpain
Area923,768 km²505,990 km²
Population237,527,78249,355,143
Density257 / km²98 / km²
CapitalAbujaMadrid
RegionWestern AfricaSouthern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours43

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Nigeria sits at about 10°N and is stretched to 1.03× its true area; Spain at 40° N is stretched to 1.71×. That difference is why Spain looks so much bigger than it is next to Nigeria. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Nigeria bigger than Spain?
Yes. Nigeria is 83% larger than Spain. Nigeria covers 923,768 km² and Spain covers 505,990 km².
How many times does Spain fit into Nigeria?
About 1.8 times: Nigeria has 1.83× the area of Spain.
Why do Nigeria and Spain look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Nigeria is drawn about 1.03× its true area there and Spain about 1.71×. That is why Spain looks so much bigger than it really is next to Nigeria. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Nigeria or Spain?
Nigeria: 237,527,782 people against 49,355,143. Density: Nigeria 257 per km², Spain 98 per km².