Germany on five projections
Germany covers 356,089 km² of ground. Mercator draws it 2.55 times over. Area and shape readings on all five projections, each one measured.
2.55 times
Germany covers 356,089 km², anchored at 51.1° N, and Mercator draws its area 2.55 times over. That is the ordinary treatment of a mid-latitude European country - nothing like Greenland's, but enough to build a systematic misreading of the size of Europe itself.
The Republic of the Congo is nearly identical
The Republic of the Congo is 0.958 of Germany's true area and Malaysia 0.954 - both inside 5 percent, and about 50 degrees away in latitude. Mozambique covers 2.29 times Germany's ground and Mercator still draws Germany slightly larger. Zambia at 2.12 and Myanmar at 1.91 go the same way.
This object
- True area
- 356,089 km²
- Anchor latitude
- 51.1° N
- Angular radius
- 4.0°
- Draggable latitude range
- -81.3° … 81.1°
On five projections
Each number is measured against its own projection's equator, not against another projection. These five rows do not share an axis - they are five answers to the same question: what did this map give up to lay this place flat?
| Projection | Area distortion | Shape distortion |
|---|---|---|
| Equirectangular | 1.59 | 1.59 |
| Mercator | 2.55 | 1.00 constant |
| Natural Earth | 1.34 | 1.25 |
| Equal Earth | 1.00 constant | 1.27 |
| Gall-Peters | 1.00 constant | 1.27 |
Mercator inflates it most, 2.55 times over. Equirectangular stretches it most: its long axis is 1.59 times its short one.
The same size, drawn otherwise
These are within 5 percent of Germany's true area, and sit at a very different latitude. It is a fact about the Earth, and it is interesting because most projections disagree with it.
- Republic of the Congo: Republic of the Congo covers 341,198 km²; this covers 356,089. They sit 50 degrees apart in latitude, and Mercator draws one 2.53 times the other.
- Malaysia: Malaysia covers 339,751 km²; this covers 356,089. They sit 49 degrees apart in latitude, and Mercator draws one 2.53 times the other.
Bigger than the map admits
These cover more ground than Germany and Mercator draws them smaller anyway.
- Mozambique: Mozambique is truly 2.29 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.01 times bigger.
- Zambia: Zambia is truly 2.12 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.13 times bigger.
- Myanmar: Myanmar is truly 1.91 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.15 times bigger.
- South Sudan: South Sudan is truly 1.76 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.41 times bigger.
On an equal-area projection this section is empty, for every object there is. An equal-area map draws in proportion to true area, so it cannot draw a larger thing smaller. That is a definition, not a coincidence.
Open it in the tool
Drag Germany across the latitude bands and the readout follows.