PLEN
02Act II · 1:1 studio

Which is bigger: Antarctica or Poland?

Antarctica is larger: 14,200,000 km² (editorial estimate) versus 312,679 km² for Poland, about 45 times the area.

Both areas at the same scale: Antarctica and Poland. Drag the outlines, separate them and see what the Mercator map hides.

True-size comparison

Same scale. Real difference.

Drag the outlines to overlap them, or place them side by side.

Loading comparison...
A
❄️

Antarctica

Loading contour...
Total surface area14,200,000 km²editorial estimate
Population1,000editorial estimate
TypeContinent
03 · Verdict

What the map gets wrong

True area tells a different story than the Mercator map.

True area ratio45.4×Larger in reality: Antarctica.
Mercator: estimate at the area’s center2,184.1×Looks larger on a Mercator map: Antarctica.
Why does this happen?

The Mercator projection enlarges areas more and more the farther they lie from the equator. The centers of the two areas lie about 85° (Antarctica) and 52° (Poland) from the equator. An estimate based on each center’s latitude gives an area ratio of 2,184.1 : 1, compared with the real ratio of 45.4 : 1. This is not a measurement of the entire outlines on a Mercator map.

Tip: You can also compare these items dynamically by clicking the link below and dragging them directly across the global interactive map.

At least one value represents a continent and comes from an older editorial dataset. Treat the result as an approximation. The overlay uses an equal-area projection. Coastal outlines are simplified and do not include all waters counted in the statistics. Their area ratio can therefore differ from the ratio of official total areas. Geometry: Natural Earth, public domain. Read the methodology ↗

Go to interactive map ↗Back to comparison tool ＋

Why do Antarctica and Poland look different on a Mercator map than in reality?

The Mercator projection preserves angles, which makes it useful for navigation, but it enlarges areas more and more the farther they lie from the equator. At 60° latitude, areas already appear four times larger than at the equator. A same-scale comparison like the one on this page greatly reduces that distortion.