Mongolia on five projections
Mongolia covers 1,540,301 km² of ground. Mercator draws it 2.14 times over. Area and shape readings on all five projections, each one measured.
This object
- True area
- 1,540,301 km²
- Anchor latitude
- 47.0° N
- Angular radius
- 11.4°
- Draggable latitude range
- -79.9° … 80.6°
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 | 1.46 | 1.46 |
| Mercator | 2.14 | 1.00 constant |
| Natural Earth | 1.28 | 1.54 |
| Equal Earth | 1.00 constant | 1.77 |
| Gall-Peters | 1.00 constant | 1.07 |
Mercator inflates it most, 2.14 times over. Equal Earth stretches it most: its long axis is 1.77 times its short one.
The same size, drawn otherwise
Nothing in the catalogue is close to Mongolia's area at a far enough latitude to be worth the comparison.
Bigger than the map admits
These cover more ground than Mongolia and Mercator draws them smaller anyway.
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: Democratic Republic of the Congo is truly 1.52 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.41 times bigger.
- Algeria: Algeria is truly 1.51 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.11 times bigger.
- Mexico: Mexico is truly 1.28 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.40 times bigger.
- Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia is truly 1.25 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.43 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 Mongolia across the latitude bands and the readout follows.