At true size, Canada is about 1× the size of Europe. On the old 1569 Mercator map the same two appear about 4× 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 Europe lies near 10°, inflated only about 1×. Equal Earth removes that latitude tax, and the pair settles at its honest 1×.