True Size of Countries at a Glance
Most world maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches countries more the farther they are from the Equator: Greenland looks as big as Africa, which is about 14 times larger. Drag any country across the map to see its true size at any latitude, then play "Which is bigger?" and the Mercator traps.
- Countries to drag
- 194
- Map
- Mercator, the projection most web maps use
- Rounds
- Which is bigger? ยท Mercator traps
- Biggest Mercator illusion
- Greenland: about 14 times smaller than Africa
- Cost
- Free, no sign-up
How to Play the true size map
- Pick a country (or a preset such as Greenland over Africa) and drag it across the map. It keeps its real size: the map is what stretches.
- The panel shows the true area and how many times too big the map draws anything at that latitude.
- In "Which is bigger?", two countries are drawn at the same true scale: tap the bigger one. The difference gets smaller every round.
- In "Mercator traps", the two countries are drawn as a Mercator map draws them. Which is really bigger? After each answer you see their true sizes.
Why maps make Greenland look so big
The Mercator projection was made in 1569 for sailors: a straight line on it is a constant compass bearing. To keep shapes right locally, it stretches the map eastโwest and northโsouth by the same amount, more and more towards the poles. At 60ยฐ latitude everything is drawn twice as wide and twice as tall, so four times too big in area; near the poles the stretch goes to infinity, which is why Mercator maps stop before them. Web maps use a version of it, so most people grow up with Greenland, Canada and Russia looking far bigger than they are.
Some true sizes
Greenland (about 2.2 million kmยฒ) is smaller than Algeria (2.4 million) and about 14 times smaller than Africa (30.4 million). Russia is the largest country, but Africa is almost twice its size. The United Kingdom is smaller than Madagascar, and Alaska would fit in the middle of the United States about two times over. The equal-area maps used in atlases, such as Equal Earth, show these sizes as they are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Greenland really as big as Africa?
No. Africa is about 14 times bigger. Greenland looks huge on Mercator maps because it is so far north, where the map stretches most.
Why is the Mercator projection still used?
It keeps angles and local shapes right, which made it ideal for navigation, and the same property makes it work well for zooming street maps on the web. It is bad for comparing sizes.
Which map shows countries at their true size?
An equal-area projection, such as Equal Earth, GallโPeters or Mollweide. They keep areas right at the cost of some stretching of shapes.
Why does a country change shape when I drag it?
Because the Mercator map stretches it differently at each latitude. On the globe its shape and size stay the same.
Made by Kashif Sulehria in Lahore, Pakistan. Updated November 2, 2026.