Country Size ComparisonD3 · TopoJSON · SVG
Brazil vs United States: True Size Comparison
Brazil and the United States are both continental-scale countries. Compare them at true size and see how their map scale changes with latitude.
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.
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Try moving Greenland toward DR Congo to compare the contrast.
One more perspective
Keep exploring the scale
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True Size Comparison
Compare Brazil and United States at true scale
Brazil and the United States are both continental-scale countries. Compare them at true size and see how their map scale changes with latitude.
The United States is somewhat larger than Brazil by total area, while Brazil's lower latitude means it is less exaggerated on Mercator maps.
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 Brazil almost as large as the United States?
Yes. Brazil is about 8.52 million square kilometers, compared with about 9.83 million square kilometers for the United States.
Why does Brazil often look smaller than northern countries?
Mercator projection inflates high-latitude countries more than countries near the equator.
Mercator is useful for navigation, but it does not preserve area. The country shapes and fixed area values remain unchanged as you move them.