France ↗
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Total surface area551,500 km²ed. 2024
Population68,720,3372025
Land area538,950 km²2023
TypeCountry
02Act II · 1:1 studioChange pair ↙
Which is bigger: France or Somalia?
Somalia is larger: 637,657 km² versus 551,500 km² for France, or about 16% more.
Both areas at the same scale: France and Somalia. 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.
Somalia ↗
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Total surface area637,657 km²ed. 2024
Population19,654,7392025
Land area627,340 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: Somalia.
How it looks on Mercator1.6×Looks larger on a Mercator map: France.
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 43° (France) and 5° (Somalia) from the equator. On a Mercator map their area ratio is 1.6 : 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 France and Somalia 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.