Which is bigger: Romania or Laos?

Romania is larger (238,398 km²) — about 1.0 times the size of Laos (236,800 km²).

Why do Romania and Laos 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 Romania and Laos are distorted compared to their true land area.

02Act II · 1:1 studioChange pair ↙

Romania×Laos

Put Romania and Laos 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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Romania ↗

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Total surface area238,398 km²ed. 2024

Population19,020,2712025

Land area230,080 km²2023

TypeCountry

Laos ↗

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Total surface area236,800 km²ed. 2024

Population7,873,0462025

Land area230,800 km²2023

TypeCountry