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True size comparison

Iceland vs Ireland: size comparison

Iceland is 1.5 times the size of Ireland.

  • Iceland 103,000 km²
  • Ireland 70,270 km²

Drag a country, see its true size

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    Drag the coloured shape anywhere on the map. It keeps its real size on the globe, so the map redraws it bigger near the poles and smaller near the equator.

    Why they look different on a map

    Iceland is centred around 65°N and Ireland around 53°N. At those latitudes the Mercator projection used by most world maps draws Iceland 5.6 times and Ireland 2.8 times larger than they would appear at the equator.

    So on a typical world map, Iceland looks 2.9 times the size of Ireland. In reality Iceland is 1.5 times the size of Ireland.

    Country True area Centred around Mercator enlargement
    Iceland 103,000 km² 65°N ×5.6
    Ireland 70,270 km² 53°N ×2.8

    The stretch is 1 divided by the cosine of the latitude, squared. At 60° north a country is drawn four times larger than the same country would be at the equator.

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    Iceland vs Ireland: questions

    Which is bigger, Iceland or Ireland?

    Iceland is 1.5 times the size of Ireland. Iceland covers 103,000 km² and Ireland covers 70,270 km².

    Why do Iceland and Ireland look a different size on world maps?

    Iceland is centred around 65°N and Ireland around 53°N. At those latitudes the Mercator projection used by most world maps draws Iceland 5.6 times and Ireland 2.8 times larger than they would appear at the equator. So on a typical world map, Iceland looks 2.9 times the size of Ireland.

    How many times does Ireland fit into Iceland?

    By area, Ireland would fit into Iceland about 1.5 times.