How big is Vanuatu really?
Vanuatu covers 12,190 km² (4,710 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 Vanuatu 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.
Vanuatu in numbers
- Vanuatu is the 163rd largest of the 196 countries and territories in Globegami.
- Countries of about the same true size: Falkland Islands (12,200 km²), Qatar (11,586 km²), Gambia (11,300 km²).
- The United Kingdom is 20 times the size of Vanuatu.
Why the map gets Vanuatu wrong
Vanuatu lies around 15°S. A Mercator map stretches distances there by about 1.04 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 Vanuatu 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