Afghanistan: old map vs new map

Both maps below show Afghanistan highlighted. The old Mercator map (1569) inflates Afghanistan about 1.4× at 34°, and the new Equal Earth map shows it at its true 652,864 km². Pan or zoom either map and the other follows, so the difference is visible at every scale.

That 1.4× inflation is why Afghanistan dominated old schoolbook maps and maps of the world's great powers. Hover Afghanistan on either map to highlight it on both at once, then compare it with Greenland.

Afghanistan: key figures

	True area	On the old Mercator map	Distortion vs truth
Afghanistan	652,864 km²	945,869 km²	1.4×
Greenland	2,166,086 km²	25,576,494 km²	11.8×
Africa	30,370,000 km²	n/a	n/a

Old maps drew Afghanistan at about 945,869 km². The truth is 652,864 km², a difference of 45% that school atlases carried for centuries.

Asia on the old map vs the new map →Afghanistan country page: true area, rank and comparisons →The old world map vs the new world map →