How big is Angola really?
Angola covers 1,246,700 km² (481,000 sq mi). On the usual world map (the Mercator projection) it is drawn close to its true size: it lies near the equator, where the usual world map stretches little.
See Angola at its true size on the map →True size vs the map
Both drawn at the same scale. The map keeps shapes but swells everything away from the equator.
Angola in numbers
- Angola is the 23rd largest of the 196 countries and territories in Globegami.
- Countries of about the same true size: Mali (1,240,192 km²), Niger (1,267,000 km²), South Africa (1,221,037 km²).
- The United States is 7.9 times the size of Angola.
Why the map gets Angola wrong
Angola lies around 12°S. A Mercator map stretches distances there by about 1.02 times in every direction, which barely changes its size. Most web maps use this projection because it keeps angles and shapes right for navigation, not because it shows sizes fairly.
In Globegami you can drag a copy of Angola anywhere on Earth: it keeps its true size and grows or shrinks on the map as it moves, and you can fold the map back into a globe.
Areas: official totals including inland water (UN Statistics Division via Wikidata). Outlines: Natural Earth. How Globegami works