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How Big is Brazil Compared to India? A Map Projection Perspective

Compare the true size difference between Brazil and India, and how map projections can make them appear more similar than they really are.

M

Map2Maps Team

•2 min read

Brazil and India are both large, populous nations with significant global influence. The size difference between them is more substantial than many realize.

The Numbers: Brazil vs. India

  • Brazil's area: 8,515,767 square kilometers (3,287,956 square miles)
  • India's area: 3,287,263 square kilometers (1,269,346 square miles)
  • Population: Brazil ~215 million, India ~1.4 billion
  • Location: Brazil in South America, India in South Asia

Quick Comparison: - Brazil is more than 2.5 times larger than India by land area - India, however, has over 6 times the population of Brazil

Global Size Rankings

  • Brazil: 5th largest country globally (after Russia, Canada, USA, China)
  • India: 7th largest country globally
  • Size difference: Brazil is 5.23 million km² larger (equivalent to India + Iran combined)

Why Maps Can Be Misleading

Mercator maps minimize the size of equatorial countries. Brazil, straddling the equator, appears smaller than its true area. India, positioned farther north, experiences less distortion. This makes Brazil look deceptively similar in size to India, when Brazil is actually more than twice as large.

Select Brazil and India on the map to see their true sizes side by side.

Final Thoughts

Brazil is more than twice India's size in land area, but India has over six times Brazil's population in less than half the space. Both nations are giants in different respects—Brazil in territory, India in population density.

Use our interactive map tool to compare Brazil and India with any country or region in the world. Also check out Argentina vs Algeria for another intercontinental comparison.

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