Both maps below highlight every country of Europe. The old Mercator map (1569) inflates area with latitude, so Europe'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 Europe is extreme: Norway is inflated about 6.2× on the old map, while Malta, near the equator, is drawn almost honestly. That is why old world maps made Europe's far-north members look dominant.
Europe: old map vs new map, largest countries
| Country | True area | On the old map | Distortion |
|---|
| Russia | 17,098,246 km² | 103,611,951 km² | 6.1× |
| France | 643,801 km² | 1,201,848 km² | 1.9× |
| Ukraine | 603,550 km² | 1,413,333 km² | 2.3× |
| Spain | 505,370 km² | 866,457 km² | 1.7× |
| Sweden | 450,295 km² | 2,095,538 km² | 4.7× |
| Norway | 386,224 km² | 2,402,120 km² | 6.2× |
Every country of Europe 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 Europe: old map vs new map
Russia · France · Ukraine · Spain · Sweden · Norway · Germany · Finland