Benin vs. Maryland: Correcting the Size Comparison
The original claim—"Benin is slightly smaller than Maryland"—is incorrect. In fact, Benin is significantly larger than the U.S. state of Maryland.
Accurate Area Comparison
| Entity | Land Area (km²) | Land Area (sq mi) |
|---|
| Benin | 112,622 | 43,484 |
| Maryland (US) | 25,314 | 9,774 |
Benin is ~4.45 times the size of Maryland—roughly equivalent to Pennsylvania (119,283 km²) or Ohio (116,098 km²).
Why the Error Occurs
- Confusion with population: Maryland (~6.2M) > Benin (~13M? Wait, Benin pop ~13M, Maryland ~6.2M. Actually Benin has larger population too.)
- Map projection distortion: West Africa's coastal nations appear smaller on Mercator maps.
- Mix-up with a smaller country (e.g., Lesotho ~30,355 km², Rwanda ~26,338 km²—both closer to Maryland).
Geographic Context
- Benin: West Africa, Gulf of Guinea. North-south extent ~650 km. Capital: Porto-Novo; seat of government: Cotonou.
- Maryland: Mid-Atlantic US. Chesapeake Bay divides it. Capital: Annapolis.
For accurate cross-country size comparisons, always use land area in km² from authoritative sources (UN, CIA World Factbook, national statistical offices).
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