Sierra Leone vs Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is 6.85 times larger than Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone would fit into Turkmenistan about 6.8 times.

Sierra LeoneTurkmenistanSierra Leone moved onto Turkmenistan · Equal-area projection
0.15×
Sierra Leone is 0.15× the area of Turkmenistan. Put the other way, Turkmenistan is 6.85× the size of Sierra Leone.
Sierra LeoneTurkmenistan
Area71,740 km²491,210 km²
Population8,819,7947,618,847
Density123 / km²16 / km²
CapitalFreetownAshgabat
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; Turkmenistan at 39° N is stretched to 1.66×. That difference is why Turkmenistan 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 Turkmenistan?
No. Sierra Leone is 6.85 times smaller than Turkmenistan. Sierra Leone covers 71,740 km² and Turkmenistan covers 491,210 km².
How many times does Sierra Leone fit into Turkmenistan?
About 6.8 times: Turkmenistan has 6.85× the area of Sierra Leone.
Why do Sierra Leone and Turkmenistan 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 Turkmenistan about 1.66×. That is why Turkmenistan 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 Turkmenistan?
Sierra Leone: 8,819,794 people against 7,618,847. Density: Sierra Leone 123 per km², Turkmenistan 16 per km².