Rwanda vs São Tomé and Principe

Rwanda is 26.3 times larger than São Tomé and Principe. São Tomé and Principe would fit into Rwanda about 26 times.

RwandaSão Tomé and PrincipeRwanda moved onto São Tomé and Principe · Equal-area projection
26.3×
Rwanda is 26.3× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
RwandaSão Tomé and Principe
Area26,338 km²1,001 km²
Population14,569,341240,254
Density553 / km²240 / km²
CapitalKigaliSao Tome
RegionEastern AfricaMiddle Africa
CoastlineLandlockedHas a coast
Neighbours40

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Rwanda sits at about 2°S and is stretched to 1.0× its true area; São Tomé and Principe at 0° N is stretched to 1.0×. 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 Rwanda bigger than São Tomé and Principe?
Yes. Rwanda is 26.3 times larger than São Tomé and Principe. Rwanda covers 26,338 km² and São Tomé and Principe covers 1,001 km².
How many times does São Tomé and Principe fit into Rwanda?
About 26 times: Rwanda has 26.3× the area of São Tomé and Principe.
Why do Rwanda and São Tomé and Principe look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Rwanda is drawn about 1.0× its true area there and São Tomé and Principe about 1.0×. 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, Rwanda or São Tomé and Principe?
Rwanda: 14,569,341 people against 240,254. Density: Rwanda 553 per km², São Tomé and Principe 240 per km².