Country Size ComparisonD3 · TopoJSON · SVG
Australia vs Greenland: True Size Comparison
Australia is far larger than Greenland, even though Greenland can look comparable on a Mercator world map.
Interactive Mercator map
Move the comparison set
Drag any coloured country north or south. The map reports the projection's apparent scale at the new latitude.
No countries selected yet.
Try moving Greenland toward DR Congo to compare the contrast.
One more perspective
Keep exploring the scale
Every toy changes one assumption. Try another and see what moves.
True Size Comparison
Compare Australia and Greenland at true scale
Australia is far larger than Greenland, even though Greenland can look comparable on a Mercator world map.
Australia is about 3.6 times larger than Greenland by area. Greenland looks oversized on Mercator maps because it sits near the pole.
How the map helps
Move the selected countries away from their original latitude. The shapes stay on the same projection so their apparent scale changes in real time.
Why the result can be surprising
Traditional world maps exaggerate high-latitude countries. Moving both places to comparable latitudes makes the area relationship clearer.
FAQ
Is Australia larger than Greenland?
Yes. Australia is about 7.69 million square kilometers, while Greenland is about 2.17 million square kilometers.
Why do Australia and Greenland look similar on some maps?
Mercator projection preserves local shape but inflates high-latitude places like Greenland.
Mercator is useful for navigation, but it does not preserve area. The country shapes and fixed area values remain unchanged as you move them.