Ukraine on five projections
Ukraine covers 570,725 km² of ground. Mercator draws it 2.34 times over. Area and shape readings on all five projections, each one measured.
This object
- True area
- 570,725 km²
- Anchor latitude
- 49.2° N
- Angular radius
- 6.1°
- Draggable latitude range
- -81.3° … 82.0°
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 | 1.53 | 1.53 |
| Mercator | 2.34 | 1.00 constant |
| Natural Earth | 1.31 | 1.25 |
| Equal Earth | 1.00 constant | 1.29 |
| Gall-Peters | 1.00 constant | 1.17 |
Mercator inflates it most, 2.34 times over. Equirectangular stretches it most: its long axis is 1.53 times its short one.
The same size, drawn otherwise
These are within 5 percent of Ukraine'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.
- Kenya: Kenya covers 593,466 km²; this covers 570,725. They sit 49 degrees apart in latitude, and Mercator draws one 2.34 times the other.
- Madagascar: Madagascar covers 591,065 km²; this covers 570,725. They sit 30 degrees apart in latitude, and Mercator draws one 2.09 times the other.
- Botswana: Botswana covers 593,438 km²; this covers 570,725. They sit 27 degrees apart in latitude, and Mercator draws one 2.01 times the other.
- Morocco: Morocco covers 592,511 km²; this covers 570,725. They sit 19 degrees apart in latitude, and Mercator draws one 1.76 times the other.
Bigger than the map admits
These cover more ground than Ukraine and Mercator draws them smaller anyway.
- Angola: Angola is truly 2.19 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.02 times bigger.
- Niger: Niger is truly 2.08 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.03 times bigger.
- Colombia: Colombia is truly 2.03 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.15 times bigger.
- Ethiopia: Ethiopia is truly 1.99 times larger, and Mercator still draws this one 1.15 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 Ukraine across the latitude bands and the readout follows.