Puerto Rico ↗
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Total surface area8,870 km²2023
Population3,184,8352025
Land area8,870 km²2023
TypeCountry
02Act II · 1:1 studioChange pair ↙
Which is bigger: Puerto Rico or French Southern and Antarctic Lands?
Puerto Rico is larger: 8,870 km² versus 7,747 km² (editorial estimate) for French Southern and Antarctic Lands, or about 14% more.
Both areas at the same scale: Puerto Rico and French Southern and Antarctic Lands. 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.
French Southern and Antarctic Lands ↗
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Total surface area7,747 km²editorial estimate
Population0editorial estimate
TypeCountry
03 · Verdict
What the map gets wrong
True area tells a different story than the Mercator map.
True area ratio1.1×Larger in reality: Puerto Rico.
How it looks on Mercator1.9×Looks larger on a Mercator map: French Southern and Antarctic Lands.
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 18° (Puerto Rico) and 49° (French Southern and Antarctic Lands) from the equator. On a Mercator map their area ratio is 1.9 : 1, while in reality it is 1.1 : 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 Puerto Rico and French Southern and Antarctic Lands 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.