French Southern and Antarctic Lands ↗
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Total surface area7,747 km²editorial estimate
Population0editorial estimate
TypeCountry
02Act II · 1:1 studioChange pair ↙
Which is bigger: French Southern and Antarctic Lands or Poland?
Poland is larger: 312,679 km² versus 7,747 km² (editorial estimate) for French Southern and Antarctic Lands, about 40 times the area.
Both areas at the same scale: French Southern and Antarctic Lands 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.
Poland ↗
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Total surface area312,679 km²ed. 2024
Population36,435,8612025
Land area306,270 km²2023
TypeCountry
03 · Verdict
What the map gets wrong
True area tells a different story than the Mercator map.
True area ratio40.4×Larger in reality: Poland.
How it looks on Mercator45.6×Looks larger on a Mercator map: Poland.
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 49° (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) and 52° (Poland) from the equator. On a Mercator map their area ratio is 45.6 : 1, while in reality it is 40.4 : 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 French Southern and Antarctic Lands 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.