Spain vs Zambia

Zambia is 49% larger than Spain.

SpainZambiaSpain moved onto Zambia · Equal-area projection
0.67×
Spain is 0.67× the area of Zambia. Put the other way, Zambia is 1.49× the size of Spain.
SpainZambia
Area505,990 km²752,618 km²
Population49,355,14321,913,874
Density98 / km²29 / km²
CapitalMadridLusaka
RegionSouthern EuropeEastern Africa
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours37

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Spain sits at about 40°N and is stretched to 1.71× its true area; Zambia at 13° S is stretched to 1.06×. That difference is why Spain looks so much bigger than it is next to Zambia. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Spain bigger than Zambia?
No. Spain is 33% smaller than Zambia. Spain covers 505,990 km² and Zambia covers 752,618 km².
How many times does Spain fit into Zambia?
About 1.5 times: Zambia has 1.49× the area of Spain.
Why do Spain and Zambia look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Spain is drawn about 1.71× its true area there and Zambia about 1.06×. That is why Spain looks so much bigger than it really is next to Zambia. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Spain or Zambia?
Spain: 49,355,143 people against 21,913,874. Density: Spain 98 per km², Zambia 29 per km².