True Size of Countries Map

True Size of Countries is an interactive Mercator map playground for comparing countries’ real geographic area with their apparent size on a standard world map. It focuses on the distortion caused by latitude: countries far from the equator can look much larger than they really are, while places near the equator appear closer to their true scale.

The map lets users move colored country shapes north or south across a Mercator world map and see the scale update in real time. The page says users can select one or more countries from a comparison set, drag them on the map, and read each country’s area, latitude, and Mercator scale factor. It also includes comparison prompts such as Greenland versus Africa, Russia versus the United States, Canada versus the United States, Australia versus Greenland, India versus the United States, Brazil versus the United States, Russia versus Canada, and Japan versus the United States. Example figures shown on the page include Greenland at about 10.5 times true size at 72°N, Russia and Canada at about 4 times true size at 60°N, and DR Congo at roughly true size near the equator.

The page describes Mercator projection as useful for navigation because it preserves local angles, while also noting that it does not preserve true area on a flat map. A tip on the page suggests moving Greenland near DR Congo to compare the contrast. The tool is presented as something for comparing real country sizes and for learning why Mercator maps distort country size. It also says the tool is built for searches such as true size map, real size map, and country size comparison.

The page names interactive world map use and includes controls such as reset positions, selected country inspection, and a draggable set. It also links to the author’s Twitter, YouTube, and GitHub, and shows the site is built with Runcell. No pricing or license information is stated on the page.