Africa · True size
🇪🇷 Eritrea
2.2×
Eritrea is drawn 2.2× smaller on the old map than it really is.
True area
123,680 km²
On the old map
2.2×
drawn smaller than true
Distortion rank
#123
of 176 · 1 = most inflated
Share of world land
0.09%
On the old map
Eritrea looks about the same size as Croatia on the old map — it isn't.
Shapes above: Eritrea at the size the old map gives it, next to Croatia's true size. Eritrea's real area is 123,680 km² — Croatia is 54,415 km².
By area
Eritrea would fit inside the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the Philippines, by area.
How many fit?
United Arab Emirates fits inside Eritrea 1.7 times. The Netherlands fits inside Eritrea 3.3 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°. Eritrea's middle sits at 15°N, where the stretch is about 1.1×.
Area stretch on the old map at each latitude, equator to 80°. The number at the top of this page compares Eritrea's whole share of the old map with its real share of the world's land.