Interactive map
Country Size Comparison
Compare the true size of any two countries. Pick them below and drag one over the other: both are drawn on an equal-area map, so they keep their real size wherever you put them, unlike on most world maps.
Why countries look the wrong size on world maps
Almost every world map you see, from classroom walls to Google Maps zoomed out, uses the Mercator projection. It was made in 1569 for sailors: it keeps angles true, so a straight line on the map is a constant compass bearing. The price is size. Mercator stretches the map more and more the further it gets from the Equator, so countries near the poles are drawn far bigger than they are.
That is why Greenland looks as big as Africa (Africa is about 14 times bigger), why Russia looks bigger than Africa (Africa is about 1.78 times bigger), and why countries near the Equator, like Brazil, Indonesia and the DR Congo, look smaller than they are next to Europe and North America. The map on this page avoids the problem with an equal-area projection centred on each country.
How much a world map stretches each country
How many times its real size each country is drawn on a standard Mercator world map. The further from the Equator, the bigger the stretch.
| Most stretched | Drawn at |
|---|---|
| Norway | 9× its real size |
| Finland | 5.5× its real size |
| Canada | 5.1× its real size |
| Russia | 4.9× its real size |
| Sweden | 4.9× its real size |
| United Kingdom | 2.93× its real size |
| Belarus | 2.83× its real size |
| Poland | 2.66× its real size |
| Germany | 2.54× its real size |
| Ukraine | 2.34× its real size |
| Least stretched | Drawn at |
|---|---|
| Brazil | 1.06× its real size |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1.01× its real size |
| Indonesia | 1.0× its real size |
| Colombia | 1.01× its real size |
| Kenya | 1.0× its real size |
Norway's figure includes Svalbard, far into the Arctic. Measured on each country's outline, Mercator against equal-area.
The 20 largest countries in the world
By total area, land and water. Select a country to compare it with the US.
| # | Country | Area | Compared with the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | 17,098,242 km² (6,601,665 sq mi) | 1.74× the US |
| 2 | Canada | 9,984,670 km² (3,855,101 sq mi) | about the same |
| 3 | United States | 9,833,517 km² (3,796,741 sq mi) | – |
| 4 | China | 9,596,960 km² (3,705,405 sq mi) | about the same |
| 5 | Brazil | 8,515,770 km² (3,287,956 sq mi) | US is 1.15× bigger |
| 6 | Australia | 7,741,220 km² (2,988,901 sq mi) | US is 1.27× bigger |
| 7 | India | 3,287,263 km² (1,269,219 sq mi) | US is 2.99× bigger |
| 8 | Argentina | 2,780,400 km² (1,073,518 sq mi) | US is 3.5× bigger |
| 9 | Kazakhstan | 2,724,900 km² (1,052,089 sq mi) | US is 3.6× bigger |
| 10 | Algeria | 2,381,740 km² (919,595 sq mi) | US is 4.1× bigger |
| 11 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2,344,858 km² (905,354 sq mi) | US is 4.2× bigger |
| 12 | Saudi Arabia | 2,149,690 km² (830,000 sq mi) | US is 4.6× bigger |
| 13 | Mexico | 1,964,375 km² (758,449 sq mi) | US is 5× bigger |
| 14 | Indonesia | 1,904,569 km² (735,358 sq mi) | US is 5.2× bigger |
| 15 | Sudan | 1,861,484 km² (718,723 sq mi) | US is 5.3× bigger |
| 16 | Libya | 1,759,540 km² (679,362 sq mi) | US is 5.6× bigger |
| 17 | Iran | 1,648,195 km² (636,371 sq mi) | US is 6× bigger |
| 18 | Mongolia | 1,564,116 km² (603,908 sq mi) | US is 6.3× bigger |
| 19 | Peru | 1,285,216 km² (496,224 sq mi) | US is 7.7× bigger |
| 20 | Chad | 1,284,000 km² (495,755 sq mi) | US is 7.7× bigger |
Countries the size of US states
Many countries people think of as big are about the size of one US state.
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest country in the world?
Russia, at 17,098,242 km² (6,601,665 sq mi), about 1.74 times the size of the US. Canada, the US and China follow, all close to 10 million km².
What is the smallest country in the world?
Vatican City, at 0.44 km². Monaco (2 km²), Nauru (21 km²), Tuvalu (26 km²) are next.
Is the US the third biggest country?
By total area, including its lakes, rivers and coastal waters, the US is third, after Russia and Canada and just ahead of China. By land area alone, China is bigger than the US.
Why does Greenland look as big as Africa?
Because most world maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches everything more the further it is from the Equator. Greenland reaches beyond 80° north, so it is drawn several times its real size, while Africa, across the Equator, is drawn close to its true size. In reality Africa is about 14 times the size of Greenland.
Is Russia really that big?
Russia is the biggest country by far, but not as big as it looks. A Mercator map draws it about 4.9 times its real size, so it looks bigger than Africa; in reality Africa is about 1.78 times the size of Russia.
How can you compare the size of two countries accurately?
Use an equal-area map, where every country keeps its real area. The map above uses one centred on each country, so when you drag one country over another, both stay at their true size. That is why the countries can look a slightly different shape from the world map you are used to.
How big is Australia compared to the US?
The US is about 1.27 times the size of Australia, but Australia (7,741,220 km²) is almost as big as the 48 contiguous states (8,096,354 km²).
Sources
- Areas: CIA World Factbook (total area, land and water). US states: US Census Bureau. Populations: World Bank (2025).
- Africa's area: 30.37 million km². Outlines are drawn on an equal-area projection, so their sizes on the map match their real areas.