London is Bigger than Colorado
London is twice as big as Colorado on the Actual Scale map. Size comparison maps are nothing new. You’ve almost certainly used The True Size Of ... to drag the outlines of countries around a world map and compare their geographical sizes. Actual Scale uses a similar drag-to-compare interface, but instead of geographical size, it compares population. Search for any city, state or country and drag its outline anywhere on the world map. The outline will grow or shrink to reflect the population density of the area it covers, while keeping the same total population. In the image above, I’ve dragged London across the United States. Its boundary adjusts to encompass the same population wherever it lands. Drop London over New York, for example, and it suddenly looks a lot smaller! Dragging places around on Actual Scale can be surprising. We tend to think of cities and countries in terms of their geographical footprint, but Actual Scale offers a different perspective, revealing just how une...
