South Georgia vs Western Sahara
Western Sahara is 65.4 times larger than South Georgia. South Georgia would fit into Western Sahara about 65 times.
South GeorgiaWestern SaharaSouth Georgia moved onto Western Sahara · Equal-area projection
0.02×
South Georgia is 0.02× the area of Western Sahara. Put the other way, Western Sahara is 65.4× the size of South Georgia.
| South Georgia | Western Sahara | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 4,066 km² | 266,000 km² |
| Population | 35 | 612,000 |
| Density | 0.01 / km² | 2.3 / km² |
| Capital | King Edward Point | — |
| Region | Seven seas (open ocean) | Northern Africa |
| Coastline | Has a coast | Has a coast |
| Neighbours | 0 | 3 |
Why the map you grew up with disagrees
On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. South Georgia sits at about 54°S and is stretched to 2.96× its true area; Western Sahara at 24° N is stretched to 1.2×. That difference is why South Georgia looks so much bigger than it is next to Western Sahara. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Questions about this pair
- Is South Georgia bigger than Western Sahara?
- No. South Georgia is 65.4 times smaller than Western Sahara. South Georgia covers 4,066 km² and Western Sahara covers 266,000 km².
- How many times does South Georgia fit into Western Sahara?
- About 65 times: Western Sahara has 65.4× the area of South Georgia.
- Why do South Georgia and Western Sahara look different on Google Maps?
- Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. South Georgia is drawn about 2.96× its true area there and Western Sahara about 1.2×. That is why South Georgia looks so much bigger than it really is next to Western Sahara. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
- Which has more people, South Georgia or Western Sahara?
- Western Sahara: 612,000 people against 35. Density: South Georgia 0.01 per km², Western Sahara 2.3 per km².