England is larger: 130,464 km² versus 20,783 km² for Wales, about 6.3 times the area.
Both areas at the same scale: Wales and England. Drag the outlines, separate them and see what the Mercator map hides.
Drag the outlines to overlap them, or place them side by side.
One of the four nations of the United Kingdom. Area to the mean high water line, including inland water, from ONS (2024).
Area source: ONS Standard Area Measurements (2024)
One of the four nations of the United Kingdom. Area to the mean high water line, including inland water, from ONS (2024).
Area source: ONS Standard Area Measurements (2024)
True area tells a different story than the Mercator map.
The Mercator projection enlarges areas more and more the farther they lie from the equator. The centers of the two areas lie about 52° (Wales) and 53° (England) from the equator. An estimate based on each center’s latitude gives an area ratio of 6.3 : 1, compared with the real ratio of 6.3 : 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.
Each figure is the area described beside its subject, from the source listed there. 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 ↗
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.
Wales covers 20,783 km² to the mean high water line, including inland water, and 20,737 km² of land alone. Source: ONS Standard Area Measurements, December 2024.
England covers 130,464 km² to the mean high water line, including inland water, and 130,313 km² of land alone. Source: ONS Standard Area Measurements, December 2024.
