Which is bigger: Botswana or France?

Botswana is larger (581,730 km²) — about 1.1 times the size of France (551,500 km²).

Why do Botswana and France look different on the map than in reality?

The common Mercator projection enlarges areas the farther they lie from the equator, so the on-map size proportions of Botswana and France are distorted compared to their true land area.

02Act II · 1:1 studioChange pair ↙

Botswana×France

Put Botswana and France on the same scale. Drag, separate, and see what the Mercator map hides.

Reverse order ⇄

True-size comparison

Same scale. Real difference.

Drag the outlines to overlap them, or place them side by side.

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Botswana ↗

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Total surface area581,730 km²ed. 2024

Population2,562,1222025

Land area566,730 km²2023

TypeCountry

France ↗

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Total surface area551,500 km²ed. 2024

Population68,720,3372025

Land area538,950 km²2023

TypeCountry