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02Act II · 1:1 studio

Which is bigger: New Zealand or Gabon?

The two areas are almost identical: New Zealand covers 268,164 km² and Gabon 267,668 km².

Both areas at the same scale: New Zealand and Gabon. 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.

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03 · Verdict

What the map gets wrong

True area tells a different story than the Mercator map.

True area ratio1.00×Larger in reality: New Zealand.
Mercator: estimate at the area’s center1.8×Looks larger on a Mercator map: New Zealand.
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 42° (New Zealand) and 1° (Gabon) from the equator. An estimate based on each center’s latitude gives an area ratio of 1.8 : 1, compared with the real ratio of 1.00 : 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.

Figures represent total surface area from the sources listed beside each subject. 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 ↗

Compare dynamically on map ↗Back to comparison tool ＋

Why do New Zealand and Gabon 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.