A different perspective on our world
True Size Map: Compare Countries at Their Real Size
Search for a place, then drag its outline to see how latitude changes its apparent size.
Popular comparisons
Start with a real size benchmark
Pick a ready-made comparison and see how familiar places change when map distortion is removed.
Russia vs Africa
A high-latitude map myth tested against a continent.
United States vs China
A near-peer total-area comparison between two global benchmarks.
India vs Europe
A country-versus-continent benchmark for regional scale.
Canada vs Europe
A close large-region comparison with a useful northern map-distortion angle.
Brazil vs Australia
A clean near-peer comparison between two huge landmasses.
Spain vs Germany
A clean Europe comparison where area and economic weight point different ways.
Map reading
Why country sizes change on maps
Use the map to see projection distortion, then use the stated area basis for numeric comparisons.
Move country outlines across the map to see how Mercator projection changes apparent size with latitude.
The map is a visual aid, not an area measurement. Check the stated area basis before using a visual overlay to compare places.
Area comparisons use the stated area basis for each place. Countries and continents are different geographic entity types, so their totals are labelled separately. Read the methodology and sources.
Area reference
Countries ranked from largest to smallest
Browse the complete area list, then open available country profiles and comparisons.
- 1. Russia17,098,246 km²
- 2. Antarctica14,000,000 km²
- 3. Canada9,984,670 km²
- 4. United States9,833,517 km²
- 5. China9,600,000 km²
- 6. Brazil8,515,767 km²
- 7. Australia7,692,024 km²
- 8. India3,287,263 km²
- 9. Argentina2,780,400 km²
- 10. Kazakhstan2,724,900 km²
- 11. Algeria2,381,741 km²
- 12. Democratic Republic of the Congo2,345,410 km²
- 13. Greenland2,166,086 km²
- 14. Saudi Arabia2,149,690 km²
- 15. Mexico1,964,375 km²
- 16. Indonesia1,904,569 km²
- 17. Sudan1,886,068 km²
- 18. Libya1,759,540 km²
- 19. Iran1,648,195 km²
- 20. Mongolia1,564,110 km²
Keep exploring
Play with your perspective
About
About true-size.com
A geographic reference tool for seeing how map projections change apparent size.
How map projections affect apparent size
Converting a spherical Earth into a flat map requires a projection, and every flat map projection makes tradeoffs. Mercator preserves local angles for navigation, while making areas nearer the poles appear larger than they are on the globe.
Read a visual comparison with area data
A map view alone is not an area measurement. Move country outlines to understand how map placement changes apparent size, then use the stated area basis when you need a numeric comparison.
Use the map and data for different questions
Map view: Shows how projection and latitude affect apparent size.
Area data: Shows the stated area basis used for a numeric comparison.
The visual difference generally grows farther from the equator. Read how the site labels area, country, and continent data in the methodology and sources.
How to use this tool
- Drag country outlines to explore how projection changes apparent size.
- Use the compass to rotate countries for better comparison angles.
- Read the stated area basis before treating a visual overlay as a numeric comparison.
- Use a comparison page to review its sources and related examples.
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