Sierra Leone vs Slovakia

Sierra Leone is 46% larger than Slovakia.

Sierra LeoneSlovakiaSierra Leone moved onto Slovakia · Equal-area projection
1.46×
Sierra Leone is 1.46× the area of Slovakia.
Sierra LeoneSlovakia
Area71,740 km²49,034 km²
Population8,819,7945,413,813
Density123 / km²110 / km²
CapitalFreetownBratislava
RegionWestern AfricaEastern Europe
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours25

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Sierra Leone sits at about 9°N and is stretched to 1.02× its true area; Slovakia at 49° N is stretched to 2.3×. That difference is why Slovakia looks so much bigger than it is next to Sierra Leone. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Sierra Leone bigger than Slovakia?
Yes. Sierra Leone is 46% larger than Slovakia. Sierra Leone covers 71,740 km² and Slovakia covers 49,034 km².
How many times does Slovakia fit into Sierra Leone?
About 1.5 times: Sierra Leone has 1.46× the area of Slovakia.
Why do Sierra Leone and Slovakia look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Sierra Leone is drawn about 1.02× its true area there and Slovakia about 2.3×. That is why Slovakia looks so much bigger than it really is next to Sierra Leone. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Sierra Leone or Slovakia?
Sierra Leone: 8,819,794 people against 5,413,813. Density: Sierra Leone 123 per km², Slovakia 110 per km².