Brazil vs United States — true size compared
United States is about 1.15× the area of Brazil — a difference of roughly 1,317,753 km² (508,787 sq mi). You could fit Brazil inside United States about 1 time.
Brazil covers 8,515,767 km² (3,287,957 sq mi), taking up nearly half of South America.
The United States covers 9,833,520 km² (3,796,742 sq mi) from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Overlay Brazil and United States on the map →
Why maps make Brazil and United States look wrong
Almost every web map — Google Maps, Apple Maps, OpenStreetMap — uses the Mercator projection. Mercator preserves shape locally, but it stretches land the further you get from the equator. Greenland ends up looking bigger than Africa. Alaska rivals the contiguous US. That's why Brazil and United States can look similar on a world map even when one is many times larger. The only fair way to compare is to lift one outline off the map and drop it on top of the other at true scale.
Quick facts
- Brazil: 8,515,767 km² · 3,287,954 sq mi
- United States: 9,833,520 km² · 3,796,741 sq mi
- Ratio: United States is 1.15× Brazil
- Absolute difference: 1,317,753 km² (508,787 sq mi)
- Brazil fits inside United States ~1 time
Frequently asked
Is Brazil bigger than United States?
United States is the bigger of the two, at 9,833,520 km² compared to 8,515,767 km² for Brazil.
How many times does Brazil fit inside United States?
About 1 time — the exact ratio is 1.15×.
Why does the map exaggerate one of them?
Mercator projection. Places far from the equator get visually stretched. Overlay the two at true scale to see the honest comparison.