Russia vs Saudi Arabia — old map vs new map

At true size, Russia is about 8.8× the size of Saudi Arabia. On the old 1569 Mercator map the same two appear about 44.3× apart — the old map exaggerates their difference by a factor of 5.1×.

It is a latitude illusion: Russia sits near 66°, where Mercator multiplies area by about 6.1×, while Saudi Arabia lies near 24°, inflated only about 1.2×. Equal Earth removes that latitude tax, and the pair settles at its honest 8.8×.

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

Russia vs Saudi Arabia — distortion table

Measure	Russia	Saudi Arabia
True area	16,879,701 km²	1,925,871 km²
Apparent on Mercator	102,290,988 km²	2,311,045 km²
Shown as	44.3×	1×