Sierra Leone vs Vanuatu

Sierra Leone is 5.89 times larger than Vanuatu. Vanuatu would fit into Sierra Leone about 5.9 times.

Sierra LeoneVanuatuSierra Leone moved onto Vanuatu · Equal-area projection
5.89×
Sierra Leone is 5.89× the area of Vanuatu.
Sierra LeoneVanuatu
Area71,740 km²12,190 km²
Population8,819,794335,169
Density123 / km²27 / km²
CapitalFreetownPort-Vila
RegionWestern AfricaMelanesia
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours20

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; Vanuatu at 16° S is stretched to 1.08×. 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 Sierra Leone bigger than Vanuatu?
Yes. Sierra Leone is 5.89 times larger than Vanuatu. Sierra Leone covers 71,740 km² and Vanuatu covers 12,190 km².
How many times does Vanuatu fit into Sierra Leone?
About 5.9 times: Sierra Leone has 5.89× the area of Vanuatu.
Why do Sierra Leone and Vanuatu 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 Vanuatu about 1.08×. 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, Sierra Leone or Vanuatu?
Sierra Leone: 8,819,794 people against 335,169. Density: Sierra Leone 123 per km², Vanuatu 27 per km².