How big is the DR Congo really?
The DR Congo covers 2,344,858 km² (905,000 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 the DR Congo 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.
The DR Congo in numbers
- The DR Congo is the 11th largest of the 196 countries and territories in Globegami.
- Countries of about the same true size: Algeria (2,381,741 km²), Greenland (2,166,086 km²), Saudi Arabia (2,149,690 km²).
- The United States is 4.2 times the size of the DR Congo.
Why the map gets the DR Congo wrong
The DR Congo lies around 3°S. A Mercator map stretches distances there by about 1.0 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 the DR Congo 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.
Compare the DR Congo
Areas: official totals including inland water (UN Statistics Division via Wikidata). Outlines: Natural Earth. How Globegami works