France is clearly the larger of the two: about 643,801 km² against 244,376 km², roughly 2.6× at true size. Drag one onto the other on the map above to feel the gap.
Both sit in Europe, so this is a same-region comparison: the new Equal Earth map draws both with the same honest geometry, and the real gap is exactly the 2.6× you see above.
The old map muddied it further: Mercator inflates France about 1.9× and United Kingdom about 2.9×, so on a Mercator-style map this pair appears 1.7× apart instead of the true 2.6×.
United Kingdom fits 2× into France.
France vs United Kingdom: key figures
| Measure | France | United Kingdom |
|---|
| True area | 643,801 km² · #43 | 244,376 km² · #80 |
| Mercator inflation | 1.9× | 2.9× |
| Apparent on Mercator | 1,201,848 km² | 707,713 km² |