Both maps below highlight every country of Africa. The old Mercator map (1569) inflates area with latitude, so Africa's northern countries swell while equatorial ones shrink; the new Equal Earth map draws all of them at their true size. Pan or zoom either map, the other follows.
The distortion inside Africa is extreme: Tunisia is inflated about 1.5× on the old map, while Kenya, near the equator, is drawn almost honestly. That is why old world maps made Africa's far-north members look dominant.
Africa: old map vs new map, largest countries
| Country | True area | On the old map | Distortion |
|---|
| Algeria | 2,381,741 km² | 3,058,155 km² | 1.3× |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2,344,858 km² | 2,350,720 km² | 1.00× |
| Sudan | 1,878,000 km² | 2,031,808 km² | 1.1× |
| Libya | 1,759,540 km² | 2,217,020 km² | 1.3× |
| Chad | 1,284,000 km² | 1,379,786 km² | 1.1× |
| Niger | 1,267,000 km² | 1,391,673 km² | 1.1× |
Every country of Africa appears highlighted on both maps. Hover any of them to see it on the old Mercator map and the new Equal Earth map at once.
Largest countries in Africa: old map vs new map
Algeria · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Sudan · Libya · Chad · Niger · Angola · Mali