At true size, Canada is about 4.2× the size of Democratic Republic of the Congo. On the old 1569 Mercator map the same two appear about 17.3× apart — the old map exaggerates their difference by a factor of 4.1×.
It is a latitude illusion: Canada sits near 60°, where Mercator multiplies area by about 4.1×, while Democratic Republic of the Congo lies near 3°, inflated only about 1×. Equal Earth removes that latitude tax, and the pair settles at its honest 4.2×.