North America · True size
🇳🇮 Nicaragua
2.3×
Nicaragua is drawn 2.3× smaller on the old map than it really is.
True area
129,227 km²
On the old map
2.3×
drawn smaller than true
Distortion rank
#131
of 176 · 1 = most inflated
Share of world land
0.10%
On the old map
Nicaragua looks about the same size as Togo on the old map — it isn't.
Shapes above: Nicaragua at the size the old map gives it, next to Togo's true size. Nicaragua's real area is 129,227 km² — Togo is 57,156 km².
By area
Nicaragua would fit inside the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the Philippines, by area.
How many fit?
United Arab Emirates fits inside Nicaragua 1.8 times. The Netherlands fits inside Nicaragua 3.5 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°. Nicaragua's middle sits at 13°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 Nicaragua's whole share of the old map with its real share of the world's land.