Turkmenistan vs Zimbabwe

Turkmenistan is 26% larger than Zimbabwe.

TurkmenistanZimbabweTurkmenistan moved onto Zimbabwe · Equal-area projection
1.26×
Turkmenistan is 1.26× the area of Zimbabwe.
TurkmenistanZimbabwe
Area491,210 km²390,757 km²
Population7,618,84716,950,795
Density16 / km²43 / km²
CapitalAshgabatHarare
RegionCentral AsiaEastern Africa
CoastlineLandlockedLandlocked
Neighbours44

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Turkmenistan sits at about 39°N and is stretched to 1.66× its true area; Zimbabwe at 19° S is stretched to 1.12×. That difference is why Turkmenistan 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 Turkmenistan bigger than Zimbabwe?
Yes. Turkmenistan is 26% larger than Zimbabwe. Turkmenistan covers 491,210 km² and Zimbabwe covers 390,757 km².
How many times does Zimbabwe fit into Turkmenistan?
About 1.3 times: Turkmenistan has 1.26× the area of Zimbabwe.
Why do Turkmenistan and Zimbabwe look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Turkmenistan is drawn about 1.66× its true area there and Zimbabwe about 1.12×. That is why Turkmenistan 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, Turkmenistan or Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe: 16,950,795 people against 7,618,847. Density: Turkmenistan 16 per km², Zimbabwe 43 per km².