New World Map

Interactive projection study

The True Size of Africa – Africa vs Greenland

Africa covers about 30.37 million km²—approximately fourteen times Greenland’s 2.17 million km² surface area.

Africa vs the United States

Africa is a little over three times the surface area of the United States, whose UNData total is about 9.83 million km².

Africa vs Europe

Africa is about three times the conventional geographic area of Europe. Published totals vary slightly because continental boundaries are conventions.

Africa vs India

Africa is more than nine times India’s total area of approximately 3.29 million km².

Africa vs Greenland

At about 30.37 million km² versus 2.17 million km², Africa is approximately fourteen times larger than Greenland.

Primary sources and method

Map geometry uses Natural Earth 1:110m boundaries. Projection math uses D3’s spherical implementations. Area values are rounded and may vary slightly with coastline, inland-water, and boundary conventions.

Published September 7, 2026 · Last reviewed September 7, 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the new world map?

It is a popular name for equal-area views of the world, especially Equal Earth, which preserve relative land area more faithfully than Mercator.

Is Equal Earth replacing Mercator?

No. Mercator and Equal Earth solve different mapping problems.

Why does Africa look bigger?

Africa is shown closer to its correct proportion because Mercator enlarges high-latitude regions.

Is Greenland really smaller than Africa?

Yes. Africa is approximately fourteen times larger than Greenland by surface area.