Heard Island and McDonald Islands — old map vs new map

Both maps below show Heard Island and McDonald Islands highlighted. The old Mercator map (1569) inflates Heard Island and McDonald Islands about 2.8× at 53°; the new Equal Earth map shows it at its true 419 km² km². Pan or zoom either map — the other follows, so the difference is visible at every scale.

That 2.8× inflation is why Heard Island and McDonald Islands dominated old schoolbook maps and maps of the world's great powers. Hover Heard Island and McDonald Islands on either map to highlight it on both at once, then compare it with Heard Island and McDonald Islands.

Oceania on the old map vs the new map →Heard Island and McDonald Islands country page: true area, rank and comparisons →The old world map vs the new world map →

factsTitle

	True area	On the old Mercator map	Distortion vs truth
Heard Island and McDonald Islands	419 km²	1,161 km²	2.8×
Greenland	2,154,754 km²	25,447,645 km²	11.8×
Africa	30,370,000 km²	—	1×

Old maps drew Heard Island and McDonald Islands at about 1,161 km² km². The truth is 419 km² km² — a difference of 177%% that school atlases carried for centuries.