Austria ↗
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Total surface area83,878 km²ed. 2024
Population9,208,1632025
Land area82,520 km²2023
TypeCountry
02Act II · 1:1 studioChange pair ↙
Which is bigger: Austria or United Arab Emirates?
Austria is larger: 83,878 km² versus 71,024 km² for the United Arab Emirates, or about 18% more.
Both areas at the same scale: Austria and United Arab Emirates. 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.
United Arab Emirates ↗
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Total surface area71,024 km²ed. 2024
Population11,513,1492025
Land area71,020 km²2023
TypeCountry
03 · Verdict
What the map gets wrong
True area tells a different story than the Mercator map.
True area ratio1.2×Larger in reality: Austria.
How it looks on Mercator2.2×Looks larger on a Mercator map: Austria.
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 48° (Austria) and 24° (United Arab Emirates) from the equator. On a Mercator map their area ratio is 2.2 : 1, while in reality it is 1.2 : 1.
Tip: You can also compare these items dynamically by clicking the link below and dragging them directly across the global interactive map.
The comparison uses total surface area from the listed UN or FAO source. Natural Earth outlines are simplified visualizations. Read the methodology ↗
Why do Austria and the United Arab Emirates 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.