Which is bigger: Panama or Sierra Leone?

Panama is larger (75,320 km²) — about 1.0 times the size of Sierra Leone (72,300 km²).

Why do Panama and Sierra Leone 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 Panama and Sierra Leone are distorted compared to their true land area.

02Act II · 1:1 studioChange pair ↙

Panama×Sierra Leone

Put Panama and Sierra Leone 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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Panama ↗

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Total surface area75,320 km²ed. 2024

Population4,571,1892025

Land area74,180 km²2023

TypeCountry

Sierra Leone ↗

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Total surface area72,300 km²ed. 2024

Population8,819,7942025

Land area72,180 km²2023

TypeCountry