Norway vs Western Sahara
Norway is 45% larger than Western Sahara.
NorwayWestern SaharaNorway moved onto Western Sahara · Equal-area projection
1.45×
Norway is 1.45× the area of Western Sahara.
| Norway | Western Sahara | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 385,207 km² | 266,000 km² |
| Population | 5,610,870 | 612,000 |
| Density | 15 / km² | 2.3 / km² |
| Capital | Oslo | — |
| Region | Northern Europe | Northern Africa |
| Coastline | Has a coast | Has a coast |
| Neighbours | 3 | 3 |
Why the map you grew up with disagrees
On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Norway sits at about 66°N and is stretched to 6.22× its true area; Western Sahara at 24° N is stretched to 1.2×. That difference is why Norway looks so much bigger than it is next to Western Sahara. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Questions about this pair
- Is Norway bigger than Western Sahara?
- Yes. Norway is 45% larger than Western Sahara. Norway covers 385,207 km² and Western Sahara covers 266,000 km².
- How many times does Western Sahara fit into Norway?
- About 1.4 times: Norway has 1.45× the area of Western Sahara.
- Why do Norway and Western Sahara look different on Google Maps?
- Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Norway is drawn about 6.22× its true area there and Western Sahara about 1.2×. That is why Norway looks so much bigger than it really is next to Western Sahara. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
- Which has more people, Norway or Western Sahara?
- Norway: 5,610,870 people against 612,000. Density: Norway 15 per km², Western Sahara 2.3 per km².