At true size, Russia is about 7.3× the size of Algeria. On the old 1569 Mercator map the same two appear about 34.4× apart — the old map exaggerates their difference by a factor of 4.7×.
It is a latitude illusion: Russia sits near 66°, where Mercator multiplies area by about 6.1×, while Algeria lies near 28°, inflated only about 1.3×. Equal Earth removes that latitude tax, and the pair settles at its honest 7.3×.