North Macedonia vs São Tomé and Principe

North Macedonia is 25.7 times larger than São Tomé and Principe. São Tomé and Principe would fit into North Macedonia about 26 times.

North MacedoniaSão Tomé and PrincipeNorth Macedonia moved onto São Tomé and Principe · Equal-area projection
25.7×
North Macedonia is 25.7× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
North MacedoniaSão Tomé and Principe
Area25,713 km²1,001 km²
Population1,820,909240,254
Density71 / km²240 / km²
CapitalSkopjeSao Tome
RegionSouthern EuropeMiddle Africa
CoastlineLandlockedHas a coast
Neighbours50

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. North Macedonia sits at about 42°N and is stretched to 1.79× its true area; São Tomé and Principe at 0° N is stretched to 1.0×. That difference is why North Macedonia looks so much bigger than it is next to São Tomé and Principe. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is North Macedonia bigger than São Tomé and Principe?
Yes. North Macedonia is 25.7 times larger than São Tomé and Principe. North Macedonia covers 25,713 km² and São Tomé and Principe covers 1,001 km².
How many times does São Tomé and Principe fit into North Macedonia?
About 26 times: North Macedonia has 25.7× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
Why do North Macedonia and São Tomé and Principe look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. North Macedonia is drawn about 1.79× its true area there and São Tomé and Principe about 1.0×. That is why North Macedonia looks so much bigger than it really is next to São Tomé and Principe. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, North Macedonia or São Tomé and Principe?
North Macedonia: 1,820,909 people against 240,254. Density: North Macedonia 71 per km², São Tomé and Principe 240 per km².