Poland vs Western Sahara
Poland is 18% larger than Western Sahara.
PolandWestern SaharaPoland moved onto Western Sahara · Equal-area projection
1.18×
Poland is 1.18× the area of Western Sahara.
| Poland | Western Sahara | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 312,683 km² | 266,000 km² |
| Population | 36,435,861 | 612,000 |
| Density | 117 / km² | 2.3 / km² |
| Capital | Warsaw | — |
| Region | Eastern Europe | Northern Africa |
| Coastline | Has a coast | Has a coast |
| Neighbours | 7 | 3 |
Why the map you grew up with disagrees
On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Poland sits at about 52°N and is stretched to 2.65× its true area; Western Sahara at 24° N is stretched to 1.2×. That difference is why Poland 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 Poland bigger than Western Sahara?
- Yes. Poland is 18% larger than Western Sahara. Poland covers 312,683 km² and Western Sahara covers 266,000 km².
- How many times does Western Sahara fit into Poland?
- About 1.2 times: Poland has 1.18× the area of Western Sahara.
- Why do Poland and Western Sahara look different on Google Maps?
- Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Poland is drawn about 2.65× its true area there and Western Sahara about 1.2×. That is why Poland 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, Poland or Western Sahara?
- Poland: 36,435,861 people against 612,000. Density: Poland 117 per km², Western Sahara 2.3 per km².