Heard and McDonald Islands vs Wallis and Futuna

Heard and McDonald Islands is 34% larger than Wallis and Futuna.

Heard and McDonald IslandsWallis and FutunaHeard and McDonald Islands moved onto Wallis and Futuna · Equal-area projection
1.34×
Heard and McDonald Islands is 1.34× the area of Wallis and Futuna.
Heard and McDonald IslandsWallis and Futuna
Area368 km²274 km²
Population11,558
Density42 / km²
CapitalMata-Utu
RegionSeven seas (open ocean)Polynesia
CoastlineHas a coastHas a coast
Neighbours00

Why the map you grew up with disagrees

On a Mercator map, area grows with distance from the equator. Heard and McDonald Islands sits at about 53°S and is stretched to 2.77× its true area; Wallis and Futuna at 14° S is stretched to 1.06×. That difference is why Heard and McDonald Islands looks so much bigger than it is next to Wallis and Futuna. The figure above uses the Equal Earth projection, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.

Questions about this pair

Is Heard and McDonald Islands bigger than Wallis and Futuna?
Yes. Heard and McDonald Islands is 34% larger than Wallis and Futuna. Heard and McDonald Islands covers 368 km² and Wallis and Futuna covers 274 km².
How many times does Wallis and Futuna fit into Heard and McDonald Islands?
About 1.3 times: Heard and McDonald Islands has 1.34× the area of Wallis and Futuna.
Why do Heard and McDonald Islands and Wallis and Futuna look different on Google Maps?
Web maps use the Mercator projection, which stretches area with distance from the equator. Heard and McDonald Islands is drawn about 2.77× its true area there and Wallis and Futuna about 1.06×. That is why Heard and McDonald Islands looks so much bigger than it really is next to Wallis and Futuna. Kartavera uses Equal Earth, where every square kilometre is drawn the same size.