Asia · True size
🇱🇦 Laos
2.2×
Laos is drawn 2.2× smaller on the old map than it really is.
True area
228,932 km²
On the old map
2.2×
drawn smaller than true
Distortion rank
#107
of 176 · 1 = most inflated
Share of world land
0.17%
On the old map
Laos looks about the same size as Guatemala on the old map — it isn't.
Shapes above: Laos at the size the old map gives it, next to Guatemala's true size. Laos's real area is 228,932 km² — Guatemala is 108,521 km².
By area
Laos would fit inside the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the Philippines, by area.
How many fit?
United Arab Emirates fits inside Laos 3.2 times. South Korea fits inside Laos 2.4 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°. Laos's middle sits at 18°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 Laos's whole share of the old map with its real share of the world's land.