Sierra Leone vs Tajikistan

Tajikistan is 99% larger than Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone would fit into Tajikistan about 2.0 times.

Sierra LeoneTajikistanSierra Leone moved onto Tajikistan · Equal-area projection
0.5×
Sierra Leone is 0.5× the area of Tajikistan. Put the other way, Tajikistan is 1.99× the size of Sierra Leone.
Sierra LeoneTajikistan
Area71,740 km²143,100 km²
Population8,819,79410,786,734
Density123 / km²75 / km²
CapitalFreetownDushanbe
RegionWestern AfricaCentral Asia
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours24

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; Tajikistan at 39° N is stretched to 1.63×. That difference is why Tajikistan 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 Tajikistan?
No. Sierra Leone is 50% smaller than Tajikistan. Sierra Leone covers 71,740 km² and Tajikistan covers 143,100 km².
How many times does Sierra Leone fit into Tajikistan?
About 2.0 times: Tajikistan has 1.99× the area of Sierra Leone.
Why do Sierra Leone and Tajikistan 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 Tajikistan about 1.63×. That is why Tajikistan 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 Tajikistan?
Tajikistan: 10,786,734 people against 8,819,794. Density: Sierra Leone 123 per km², Tajikistan 75 per km².