At true size, Russia is about 13× the size of Peru. On the old 1569 Mercator map the same two appear about 76.6× apart — the old map exaggerates their difference by a factor of 5.9×.
It is a latitude illusion: Russia sits near 66°, where Mercator multiplies area by about 6.1×, while Peru lies near 9°, inflated only about 1×. Equal Earth removes that latitude tax, and the pair settles at its honest 13×.