Russia vs Australia: big, but not that big
Russia is about 2.2× the size of Australia — 16.9 million km² to 7.7 million — not the five-or-six-to-one gap the Mercator map suggests.
By W. Viljoen · Published 21 June 2026
Russiavs
Australia- Russia16,924,112 km² · 5.5× on the map
- Australia7,723,177 km² · 1.2× on the map
Both panels are drawn to the same scale. On the left, each country is the size the Mercator map gives it; on the right, its true size with the latitude distortion removed.The exaggerated giant
Russia is genuinely the largest country on Earth — but the map can't resist making
it larger still. Stretched across the far north, it looks like it could hold five
or six Australias. The real figure is far more modest.
The numbers
- Russia: ~16.9 million km²
- Australia: ~7.7 million km²
Russia is about 2.2 times the size of Australia — big, but a long way short of
the mismatch the map implies.
Why the map lies
Much of Russia lies above 50° north, with vast stretches of Siberia far higher
still, deep in Mercator's inflation zone. Australia sits across the tropics and the
mild southern mid-latitudes. So Russia's real lead is roughly doubled by the
projection alone.
Try it
Drag Russia south toward Australia. Stripped of its high-latitude inflation,
its true footprint settles to a bit over twice Australia — not the continent-eating
colossus the map first showed you.