Africa · True size
🇧🇯 Benin
2.3×
Benin is drawn 2.3× smaller on the old map than it really is.
True area
116,554 km²
On the old map
2.3×
drawn smaller than true
Distortion rank
#144
of 176 · 1 = most inflated
Share of world land
0.09%
On the old map
Benin looks about the same size as Dominican Republic on the old map — it isn't.
Shapes above: Benin at the size the old map gives it, next to Dominican Republic's true size. Benin's real area is 116,554 km² — Dominican Republic is 48,592 km².
By area
Benin would fit inside the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the Philippines, by area.
How many fit?
United Arab Emirates fits inside Benin 1.6 times. The Netherlands fits inside Benin 3.1 times.
Why the old map gets it wrong
The old map stretches land more the further it is from the equator — twice the area at 45°, four times at 60°. Benin's middle sits at 10°N, where the stretch is about 1.0×.
Area stretch on the old map at each latitude, equator to 80°. The number at the top of this page compares Benin's whole share of the old map with its real share of the world's land.