Romania on five projections
Romania covers 237,799 km² of ground. Mercator draws it 2.06 times over. Area and shape readings on all five projections, each one measured.
This object
- True area
- 237,799 km²
- Anchor latitude
- 45.9° N
- Angular radius
- 3.4°
- Draggable latitude range
- -82.9° … 82.7°
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 | 1.44 | 1.44 |
| Mercator | 2.06 | 1.00 constant |
| Natural Earth | 1.27 | 1.17 |
| Equal Earth | 1.00 constant | 1.19 |
| Gall-Peters | 1.00 constant | 1.03 |
Mercator inflates it most, 2.06 times over. Equirectangular stretches it most: its long axis is 1.44 times its short one.
The same size, drawn otherwise
These are within 5 percent of Romania'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.
- Uganda: Uganda covers 246,838 km²; this covers 237,799. They sit 45 degrees apart in latitude, and Mercator draws one 2.06 times the other.
- Ghana: Ghana covers 244,492 km²; this covers 237,799. They sit 38 degrees apart in latitude, and Mercator draws one 2.02 times the other.
- Guinea: Guinea covers 240,531 km²; this covers 237,799. They sit 35 degrees apart in latitude, and Mercator draws one 1.99 times the other.
- Laos: Laos covers 229,764 km²; this covers 237,799. They sit 27 degrees apart in latitude, and Mercator draws one 1.86 times the other.
Bigger than the map admits
These cover more ground than Romania and Mercator draws them smaller anyway.
- Somalia: Somalia is truly 2.05 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.00 times bigger.
- Papua New Guinea: Papua New Guinea is truly 1.96 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.04 times bigger.
- Cameroon: Cameroon is truly 1.94 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.05 times bigger.
- Paraguay: Paraguay is truly 1.69 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.03 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 Romania across the latitude bands and the readout follows.