Africa · True size
🇨🇬 Congo
2.4×
Congo is drawn 2.4× smaller on the old map than it really is.
True area
346,862 km²
On the old map
2.4×
drawn smaller than true
Distortion rank
#171
of 176 · 1 = most inflated
Share of world land
0.26%
On the old map
Congo looks about the same size as Suriname on the old map — it isn't.
Shapes above: Congo at the size the old map gives it, next to Suriname's true size. Congo's real area is 346,862 km² — Suriname is 145,561 km².
By area
Congo is big enough to fit Finland inside it, by area — 330,486 km² combined.
How many fit?
United Arab Emirates fits inside Congo 4.9 times. South Korea fits inside Congo 3.6 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°. Congo's middle sits at 1°S, 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 Congo's whole share of the old map with its real share of the world's land.
Nearby