Ireland on five projections
Ireland covers 58,253 km² of ground. Mercator draws it 2.79 times over. Area and shape readings on all five projections, each one measured.
This object
- True area
- 58,253 km²
- Anchor latitude
- 53.2° N
- Angular radius
- 2.0°
- Draggable latitude range
- -83.6° … 83.1°
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 | 1.67 | 1.67 |
| Mercator | 2.79 | 1.00 constant |
| Natural Earth | 1.37 | 1.30 |
| Equal Earth | 1.00 constant | 1.34 |
| Gall-Peters | 1.00 constant | 1.39 |
Mercator inflates it most, 2.79 times over. Equirectangular stretches it most: its long axis is 1.67 times its short one.
The same size, drawn otherwise
Nothing in the catalogue is close to Ireland's area at a far enough latitude to be worth the comparison.
Bigger than the map admits
These cover more ground than Ireland and Mercator draws them smaller anyway.
- Suriname: Suriname is truly 2.49 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.11 times bigger.
- Bangladesh: Bangladesh is truly 2.30 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.01 times bigger.
- Nicaragua: Nicaragua is truly 2.23 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.19 times bigger.
- Eritrea: Eritrea is truly 2.05 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.26 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 Ireland across the latitude bands and the readout follows.