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30 real world maps that show the true size of countries

Bored Panda · Apr 24, 2026 20:00 · 5 min read

30 Real World Maps That Show The True Size Of Countries

Do you know how America compares to Australia in terms of size? These 30 real-world maps will change your perception about the sizes of different countries.

Ever wondered why Greenland looks as big as Africa on the map? It’s because of something called the Mercator projection. Putting a 3-D planet on a two-dimensional world map was challenging for early cartographers. So, a Flemish geographer and cartographer named Gerardus Mercator came up with a solution for the most accurate world map.

In 1569, he designed an atlas that could be accurately used for navigation. Still, the downside was that his system distorted the size of objects depending on their position relative to the equator.

Because of this, landmasses like Antarctica and Greenland appear much bigger than they are. Though there are around 40 types of map projections, from conical to polyhedral and retroazimuthal, depicting the actual size of the world, this one is still used the most because of its convenience and simplicity, even by Google Maps. None of these projections can be titled the real world map because they all depict the same Earth through a different lens.

So, what does the real-world map look like? To show how incorrect our understanding of countries by size is, a website called thetruesize.com lets you move land masses into different locations. This helps you understand the actual size of countries.

We at Bored Panda played a bit with this tool, and what we found will change your perspective on our planet’s geography. The website lets you juxtapose two countries to compare their relative size, and if you’re wondering which countries are the best to live in, we explored that too.

Here’s what the real size of countries looks like.

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#1 US Moved Down Next To Australia Looks Unbelievably Small

#2 Russia On The Equator Is Not A Giant Bear Anymore

#3 If Romania Was An Island In The Arctic Ocean

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#4 Australia Is Way Bigger Than You May Think - It Covers Almost The Whole Of Europe

Is Africa Bigger Than it Appears on the Map?

Yes, Africa is significantly larger than it appears on many traditional maps. An interesting fact about the Mercator projection is that it distorts the sizes of landmasses as they get farther from the equator. This distortion disproportionately enlarges countries near the poles while diminishing the size of equatorial regions. As a result, Africa, which straddles the equator, is typically misrepresented as much smaller than it is in reality.

In reality, Africa covers an expansive area of about 11.7 million square miles. Its vastness is often underestimated on conventional maps, leading to misconceptions about its size and significance. On an accurate world map, Africa would appear three times the size of US.

#5 If Brazil Was In Asia It Would Be Massive

#6 Indonesia Would Spread Almost Across The Whole Of Russia

#7 Greenland Is Not So Big When Compared To USA And Brazil

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#8 When You Move Canada To South America

What is the Most Realistic World Map?

The AuthaGraph is considered to be the real world map that shows the true size of countries.

Unlike the Mercator projection, which distorts the sizes of landmasses, the AuthaGraph projection aims to maintain equal area property. This means that the relative size of continents and countries is preserved accurately. This is essential for understanding the true proportions of different regions of the world.

The AuthaGraph projection minimizes distortion by dividing the Earth’s surface into 96 regions, which are then transferred to a tetrahedron. This tetrahedron is unfolded and flattened to create a two-dimensional map.

While no projection can be perfect in preserving both area and shape, the AuthaGraph projection comes really close to showing the real size of countries.

#9 California Moved Onto The UK Shows They're Quite Similar In Size

#10 China Placed On Top Of Russia

#11 Australia Moved Onto North America Becomes REALLY Big

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#12 Japan Can Stretch Almost Across Canada

Why is Greenland So Big on the Map?

Greenland appears disproportionately large on the maps due to an inherent distortion in translating the Earth’s three-dimensional, spherical surface onto a two-dimensional map.

The Mercator projection is widely used for navigational purposes because it preserves angles and, therefore, helps sailors navigate straight lines or constant compass headings. However, it doesn’t preserve area or size accurately, particularly as you move away from the equator.

It exaggerates the sizes of landmasses as they approach the poles, causing polar regions to appear much larger than they are in reality.

Greenland is situated near the North Pole, and as a result, it is significantly distorted on Mercator maps. In reality, Greenland is much smaller than it appears on traditional maps. It covers an area of approximately 850,000 square miles, making it only slightly larger than Saudi Arabia (830,000 square miles).

#13 Antarctica Is Not So Much Larger Than Brazil

#14 This Is How India Changes As You Move It North

#15 Canada Moved Down Onto The US Reveals That Both Countries Are Pretty Much The Same Size

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#16 How This All Works

Is the True Size Map Accurate?

The True Size Of… is an interactive tool that lets you visually compare landmass. It provides a more accurate representation of landmass sizes and minimizes distortion.