Country Size ComparisonD3 · TopoJSON · SVG
Canada vs United States: True Size Comparison
Canada and the United States are close in total area, but Canada appears more inflated on Mercator maps because it reaches farther north.
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
Every toy changes one assumption. Try another and see what moves.
True Size Comparison
Compare Canada and United States at true scale
Canada and the United States are close in total area, but Canada appears more inflated on Mercator maps because it reaches farther north.
Canada is only slightly larger than the United States by total area, but Mercator projection makes northern Canada look much bigger.
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 Canada much larger than the United States?
No. Canada is about 9.98 million square kilometers and the United States is about 9.83 million square kilometers.
Why does Canada look so large on world maps?
Canada extends into high northern latitudes, where Mercator projection stretches land area.
Mercator is useful for navigation, but it does not preserve area. The country shapes and fixed area values remain unchanged as you move them.