Both maps below highlight every country of South America. The old Mercator map (1569) inflates area with latitude, so South America'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 South America is extreme: South Georgia and the Islands is inflated about 3× on the old map, while Ecuador, near the equator, is drawn almost honestly. That is why old world maps made South America's far-north members look dominant.
South America: old map vs new map, largest countries
| Country | True area | On the old map | Distortion |
|---|
| Brazil | 8,510,346 km² | 8,810,761 km² | 1.04× |
| Argentina | 2,780,400 km² | 4,111,934 km² | 1.5× |
| Peru | 1,285,216 km² | 1,318,246 km² | 1.03× |
| Colombia | 1,138,910 km² | 1,144,263 km² | 1.00× |
| Bolivia | 1,098,581 km² | 1,197,234 km² | 1.1× |
| Venezuela | 912,050 km² | 926,278 km² | 1.02× |
Every country of South America 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 South America: old map vs new map
Brazil · Argentina · Peru · Colombia · Bolivia · Venezuela · Chile · Paraguay