Greenland vs Saudi Arabia — old map vs new map

At true size, Greenland is about 1.1× the size of Saudi Arabia. On the old 1569 Mercator map the same two appear about 11× apart — the old map exaggerates their difference by a factor of 9.8×.

It is a latitude illusion: Greenland sits near 73°, where Mercator multiplies area by about 11.8×, while Saudi Arabia lies near 24°, inflated only about 1.2×. Equal Earth removes that latitude tax, and the pair settles at its honest 1.1×.

Greenland on the old map vs the new map →Saudi Arabia on the old map vs the new map →Greenland vs Saudi Arabia — true size comparison →The old world map vs the new world map →Africa vs Greenland — old map vs new map →Asia vs Greenland — old map vs new map →Greenland vs Indonesia — old map vs new map →

Greenland vs Saudi Arabia — distortion table

Measure	Greenland	Saudi Arabia
True area	2,154,754 km²	1,925,871 km²
Apparent on Mercator	25,447,645 km²	2,311,045 km²
Shown as	11×	1×