Moldova on five projections
Moldova covers 32,231 km² of ground. Mercator draws it 2.17 times over. Area and shape readings on all five projections, each one measured.
This object
- True area
- 32,231 km²
- Anchor latitude
- 47.2° N
- Angular radius
- 1.7°
- Draggable latitude range
- -83.3° … 83.8°
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 | 1.47 | 1.47 |
| Mercator | 2.17 | 1.00 constant |
| Natural Earth | 1.28 | 1.20 |
| Equal Earth | 1.00 constant | 1.23 |
| Gall-Peters | 1.00 constant | 1.08 |
Mercator inflates it most, 2.17 times over. Equirectangular stretches it most: its long axis is 1.47 times its short one.
The same size, drawn otherwise
Nothing in the catalogue is close to Moldova's area at a far enough latitude to be worth the comparison.
Bigger than the map admits
These cover more ground than Moldova and Mercator draws them smaller anyway.
- Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka is truly 2.04 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.04 times bigger.
- Togo: Togo is truly 1.90 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.12 times bigger.
- Costa Rica: Costa Rica is truly 1.68 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.25 times bigger.
- Dominican Republic: Dominican Republic is truly 1.50 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.29 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 Moldova across the latitude bands and the readout follows.