At true size, Asia is about 4.5× the size of Canada. On the old 1569 Mercator map the same two appear about 1.1× apart — the old map exaggerates their difference by a factor of 4.1×.
It is a latitude illusion: Asia sits near 10°, where Mercator multiplies area by about 1×, while Canada lies near 60°, inflated only about 4.1×. Equal Earth removes that latitude tax, and the pair settles at its honest 4.5×.