"overlaid geographies" can help people gain a more concrete sense of scale on a global or local level. but it looks like ye olde buzzfeed beat me to the punch with this article. oh well. regardless, below are a few not-so-amazing examples, visually speaking, but the point is still pretty well made.
united states as compared to russia.
africa compared to russia.
africa compared to much of the world.
this idea is free to use, co-opt, or otherwise exploit. let me know if you want to discuss further or contact me if you use it. or don't because it's clearly not my own idea. who cares...