North America · True size
🇵🇦 Panama
2.4×
Panama is drawn 2.4× smaller on the old map than it really is.
True area
74,236 km²
On the old map
2.4×
drawn smaller than true
Distortion rank
#150
of 176 · 1 = most inflated
Share of world land
0.06%
On the old map
Panama looks about the same size as Guinea-Bissau on the old map — it isn't.
Shapes above: Panama at the size the old map gives it, next to Guinea-Bissau's true size. Panama's real area is 74,236 km² — Guinea-Bissau is 32,044 km².
By area
Panama would fit inside the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the Philippines, by area.
How many fit?
The Netherlands fits inside Panama 2.0 times. Israel fits inside Panama 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°. Panama's middle sits at 9°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 Panama's whole share of the old map with its real share of the world's land.