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Maps are deceiving. You see, the surface of a sphere cannot be represented as a plane without some form of distortion.

Since the 1500s, scientists have been developing algorithms that would help transform the globe into something flat, and to do this, they use a method called map projection.

There is no right or wrong way to do it, and everything depends on the map's purpose. But while every type of map preserves one thing, it messes up the other.

Area, shape, direction, bearing, distance, and scale of the landmasses are the main properties map makers are constantly juggling. Most people usually look at the Mercator projection.

#1

Australia

Australia overlaid on a map of the United States showing size comparison with real scale perspective.

Population: 23,470,145, and all trying to buy a house in Melbourne it seems

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The Mercator map is widely used for navigation because it represents lines of constant course. A line drawn between two points on this map would provide the exact angle to follow on a compass to travel between these two points. It also preserves the shape of countries.

However, world maps are less practical because the scale is distorted. And that’s where the Internet comes into play. Imgurian and map lover Mkyner has compiled a series of overlapping maps showing countries from all over the world on top of the United States to give everyone a better understanding of just how huge it is.

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    #2

    New Zealand

    New Zealand compared to the United States showing real scale perspective with cities like Wellington and Auckland highlighted.

    Population: 4,545,627 people and about 30,000,000 sheep

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    Monika Soffronow
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    New Zealand is also quite a bit larger than what I had in my head. Lovely country, with real leadership.

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    Most popular maps are created using cylindrical projection. Imagine putting a cylinder over a globe and projecting each of the points of the sphere onto the cylindrical surface. Then, if you unroll the cylinder, you end up with a flat rectangular map.

    #3

    Russia

    Russia highlighted over the United States map, showing a real scale perspective comparison of both countries.

    Population: 142,122,776

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    Jus
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My desk map of the world suggests Russia is 4 times larger than the US. Strange.

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    Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator created the Mercator projection in 1569. Gerardus preserved the direction of his map by varying the distances between the latitude lines and making them straight.

    However, as with every map, there are drawbacks. For example, Greenland and Africa look about the same size on the Mercator map. However, the actual size comparison to Africa shows that Greenland is smaller. 14 times smaller, to be precise.

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    However, mapping services like Google Maps still use Mercator. Again, because of its ability to preserve shape and angles. Close-up views of cities and roads are more accurate.

    A 90-degree right turn on the map is a 90-degree right turn on the street you’re driving on. And when you’re close-up, the distortion is minimal. If you want, however, a map that shows the actual size of things, fire up one that’s created with a Gall–Peters projection.

    #5

    India

    India overlaid on the United States map showing real scale perspective for country size comparison.

    Population: 1,296,834,042

    Expected to pass China in population within a few years. Stripped bit near Winnipeg is occupied by China.

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    Jeff
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    About one third the size, if you include Alaska, but almost quadruple the population!

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    "I've liked maps for as long as I can remember," Mkyner told Bored Panda. "I enjoy exploring distant places on Google Earth, I think it's important to have an understanding of the countries we hear about in the news, and I love sharing this interest with others (as I think many people do with their hobbies/passions)."

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    #6

    Belgium

    Belgium overlaid on the United States map for size comparison with major cities shown, illustrating scale perspective.

    Population: 11,570,762

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    "I was looking up maps of South Africa yesterday (19 May 2019) when I came across the first comparison map. That quickly led to the CIA World Fact Book (a US government source). I was trying to procrastinate on some chores, so compiling those maps into a post seemed like a perfect idea."

    #7

    China

    China's size compared to the United States shown with major cities and real scale perspective on a North America map.

    Population: 1,384,688,986

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    Hans
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Interesting to include Taipei here. Quite a political statement! I guess the taiwanese government will see this differently...

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    "Note, I did not include every country in this USA size comparison post," they added. "I skipped Canada and Mexico, since they were on a lot of the maps anyway, and some of the smaller/more obscure countries (think Togo and Kyrgyzstan)."

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    #8

    Indonesia

    Map showing Indonesia compared to the United States with real scale perspective highlighting major cities locations.

    Population: 262,787,403

    More than half the population is on that one island running from northern New Mexico to central Oklahoma. The big island in the upper Great Plains and that thing in the Atlantic are mostly jungle.

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    #9

    Madagascar

    Map showing Madagascar overlaid on the United States with real scale perspective comparing 30 countries.

    Population: 25,683,610

    Ports: closed.

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    Monika Soffronow
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Now, this is something I had no idea of. Madagascar is much larger than I thought it would be.

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    #10

    Chile

    Chile compared to the United States showing real scale perspective from north to south across the map.

    Population: 17,925,262

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    Hans
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As a North Chilean, visiting your Southern relatives is a journey...

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    #11

    Croatia

    Map showing Croatia overlaid on the eastern United States, illustrating real scale perspective comparison to the US.

    Population: 4,270,480
    One of the coolest-shaped countries, like a Needler from Halo.

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    finelaffen
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Also, to drive from Split to Dubrovnik, you need to exit Croatia into Bosnia Herzegovina and back into Croatia.

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    #12

    Germany

    Germany highlighted on a real scale map compared to the United States showing major cities and geographic locations.

    Population: 80,457,737

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    Hans
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Germany is quite small actually. But very densely populated. As a German, driving US roads ("no service next 200 miles") is an interesting experience.

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    #13

    Vatican City

    Map showing Vatican City compared to Washington, D.C., illustrating real scale perspective in countries compared to the United States.

    Population: 1,000

    aka Holy See

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    Hans
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Many people have yards that are larger than Vatican city!

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    #15

    Japan

    Japan overlaid on a US map showing real scale perspective with major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Sapporo highlighted.

    Population: 126,168,156 and 1 Godzilla

    Bullet train will take you from Tokyo, Arkansas to Osaka, Texas in about 2.5hrs

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    Hans
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Which is quite saddening for the US. A high-speed railway network would perfectly fit the topology and make travelling between major cities so much more convenient.

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    #16

    United Kingdom

    Map showing the United Kingdom compared to the United States with a real scale perspective across several states.

    Population: 65,105,246

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    #17

    Italy

    Italy overlaid on the eastern United States showing a real scale perspective comparison between countries and the US.

    Population: 62,246,674

    Giving South Carolina the boot.

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    Ben Steinberg
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If they'd flip the image, Italy could be giving Washington DC the boot...

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    #19

    Finland

    Finland overlaid on eastern United States showing real scale perspective comparison between countries.

    Population: 5,537,364

    May or may not exist.

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    #20

    Iceland

    Iceland's real scale compared to the United States highlighting major cities and geographic overlap on the East Coast.

    Population: 343,518

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    #21

    Egypt

    Egypt overlaid on the United States map illustrating real scale perspective and country size comparison.

    Population: 99,413,317

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    #22

    Norway

    Map comparing the real scale size of Norway overlaid on the eastern United States for country size perspective.

    Population: 5,372,191

    aka, Occupied West Sweden

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    Noez 🇸🇪
    Community Member
    6 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Aka occupied West Sweden???? Oh come on! Who did this? It's so not nice! Funny, but not nice.... 😁😁😁

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    #23

    Netherlands

    Map comparing the Netherlands to US states with cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam shown for real scale perspective.

    Population: 17,151,228

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    W Veer
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Awesome that Groningen (population 230.000) is included in the map, yet Utrecht (population 350.000) isn't. Er gaat niets boven Groningen! :D

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    #24

    Vietnam

    Vietnam highlighted in red overlayed on United States map showing real scale perspective comparison.

    Population: 97,040,334

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    #25

    Sweden

    Sweden overlaid on the eastern United States map showing real scale perspective comparison between countries.

    Population: 10,040,995

    That's a lot of vikings.

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    #26

    Turkey

    Map showing Turkey's real scale compared to the United States with major cities highlighted for perspective.

    Population: 81,257,239

    *Constantinople

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    better version of alex
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's istanbul, not constantinople now, it's istanbul (umbrella academy anyone)

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    #27

    Austria

    Austria overlay comparison on the US map showing real scale perspective with major cities like Vienna and Salzburg.

    Population: 8,793,370

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    #28

    Ukraine

    Ukraine overlaid on a US map showing the real scale perspective of the country compared to the United States.

    Population: 43,952,299

    IIRC, the Russian-occupied part in the east is roughly New Jersey, Delaware, and a bit of Pennsylvania

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    finelaffen
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Largest country in Europe, in fact (excluding countries that span both Europe and Asia).

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    #29

    Georgia

    Map showing the country of Georgia overlaid on the eastern United States for real scale comparison.

    Population of the country of Georgia: 4,926,087

    Population of the US State of Georgia: 10,519,475

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    Hans
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why did they put this not on top of the state of Georgia? A pun left unused...

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    #30

    Philippines

    Map showing the Philippines compared to the United States with a real scale perspective highlighting major cities.

    Population: 105,893,381

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    Luis Milian
    Community Member
    6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Fun fact: Philippines is the world's largest island within a lake (Main Crater Lake) that is situated on an island (aka Taal Island) located in a lake, within an island (Luzon). I been there and is beautiful!

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