Both maps below show Moldova highlighted. The old Mercator map (1569) inflates Moldova about 2.2× at 47°, and the new Equal Earth map shows it at its true 33,847 km². Pan or zoom either map and the other follows, so the difference is visible at every scale.
That 2.2× inflation is why Moldova dominated old schoolbook maps and maps of the world's great powers. Hover Moldova on either map to highlight it on both at once, then compare it with Greenland.
Moldova: key figures
| True area | On the old Mercator map | Distortion vs truth |
|---|
| Moldova | 33,847 km² | 73,282 km² | 2.2× |
| Greenland | 2,166,086 km² | 25,576,494 km² | 11.8× |
| Africa | 30,370,000 km² | n/a | n/a |
Old maps drew Moldova at about 73,282 km². The truth is 33,847 km², a difference of 117% that school atlases carried for centuries.