Spain vs Zimbabwe

Spain is 29% larger than Zimbabwe.

SpainZimbabweSpain moved onto Zimbabwe · Equal-area projection
1.29×
Spain is 1.29× the area of Zimbabwe.
SpainZimbabwe
Area505,990 km²390,757 km²
Population49,355,14316,950,795
Density98 / km²43 / km²
CapitalMadridHarare
RegionSouthern EuropeEastern Africa
CoastlineHas a coastLandlocked
Neighbours34

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; Zimbabwe at 19° S is stretched to 1.12×. That difference is why Spain looks so much bigger than it is next to Zimbabwe. 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 Zimbabwe?
Yes. Spain is 29% larger than Zimbabwe. Spain covers 505,990 km² and Zimbabwe covers 390,757 km².
How many times does Zimbabwe fit into Spain?
About 1.3 times: Spain has 1.29× the area of Zimbabwe.
Why do Spain and Zimbabwe 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 Zimbabwe about 1.12×. That is why Spain looks so much bigger than it really is next to Zimbabwe. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.
Which has more people, Spain or Zimbabwe?
Spain: 49,355,143 people against 16,950,795. Density: Spain 98 per km², Zimbabwe 43 per km².