Mercator vs Equal Earth: what's the difference?
The Mercator projection keeps angles and shapes at a small scale, but it enlarges land more the farther it lies from the equator. Equal Earth keeps area proportions true at the cost of slightly distorted shapes. On Mercator, Greenland covers 105% of Africa's area, on Equal Earth 7.1%, and in reality 7.1%.
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| Feature | Mercator | Equal Earth |
|---|---|---|
| Basics | ||
| Distortion class | Conformal | Equal-area |
| Graticule type | Cylindrical | Pseudocylindrical |
| Creator | Gerardus Mercator | B. Šavrič, T. Patterson, B. Jenny |
| Year | 1569 | 2018 |
| What it looks like | Meridians and parallels form a rectangular grid, and the spacing between parallels grows toward the poles, so polar regions are hugely enlarged. | Parallels are straight lines, the poles are flat lines, and the sides of the map are gently rounded, much like Robinson. |
| Distortion | ||
| Area | Distorted | Preserved |
| Shape | Preserved | Distorted |
| Distances | Distorted | Distorted |
| Angles and directions | Preserved | Distorted |
| Continuity | Preserved | Preserved |
| By the numbers | ||
| Greenland on the map, as a share of Africa | 105%15× too large | 7.1%True proportion |
| Average angular distortion over land | 0°None, the map is conformal | 32° |
| Practical traits | ||
| Map outline | Rectangle | Rectangle with rounded sides |
| Rhumb lines (constant bearing) drawn straight | Yes | No |
| Great circles (shortest routes) drawn straight | No | No |
| A pole at the centre of the map | No | No |
| Where the map is cut | Nowhere, the map is continuous | Nowhere, the map is continuous |
| All oceans in one piece | No | No |
| Use | ||
| Typical uses | Marine navigation, aviation, and most modern web mapping applications (Web Mercator, used by Google Maps, OpenStreetMap). Unsuitable for general educational wall maps due to extreme scale distortion. | Scientific publications, school textbooks, and global thematic maps that need to represent datasets relative to actual land area. |
| First choice for | ||
| A good alternative for | None of the jobs we describe | |
| Not recommended for | ||
The “By the numbers” rows are measured when the site is built, on the same maps the lab draws, over a grid of points every half degree (every 2° for all land). The true areas of Greenland and Africa come from our country and continent profiles.
The key differences
- What they keep: Mercator is conformal, so small shapes and directions are true. Equal Earth is equal-area, so area proportions are true.
- Country sizes: Greenland covers 105% of Africa's area on Mercator and 7.1% on Equal Earth. The farther from the equator, the more Mercator enlarges the land.
- Shapes: the average angular distortion over land is 0° on Mercator and 32° on Equal Earth. Countries near the edges of an Equal Earth map lean slightly.
- Grid: Mercator is a rectangle in which the gaps between parallels grow toward the poles, and the poles themselves lie at infinity. Equal Earth has straight parallels, flat poles and rounded sides.
- Navigation: on Mercator a line of constant compass bearing (a rhumb line) is straight, which is why sailors have used it since the 16th century. Equal Earth has no such property.
Where the two maps come from
Gerardus Mercator published his map in 1569 as an aid for sailors. Its variant, Web Mercator, now underlies web maps such as Google Maps and OpenStreetMap, because streets keep their true angles on it when you zoom in.
Equal Earth was designed in 2018 by Bojan Šavrič, Tom Patterson and Bernhard Jenny. It was prompted by Boston Public Schools, which replaced Mercator with the Gall-Peters map in 2017. The authors wanted an equal-area map that looks familiar, much like Robinson.
On 4 September 2026 the UN General Assembly adopted the non-binding “Correct the Map” resolution. It encourages equal-area maps, particularly Equal Earth, wherever the size of continents is compared.
Read more
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the job. For comparing country sizes and for data maps Equal Earth is better, because it shows true area proportions. For navigating on a constant bearing and for web maps that you zoom into, Mercator is better.
To keep angles true, Mercator stretches the map both across and up and down, more and more the farther it gets from the equator. Greenland lies far north, so it covers 105% of Africa's area on the map, although in reality it is 7.1%.
Because they mostly show small areas, and Mercator keeps angles and shapes at a small scale. Crossroads and buildings look right on it at every zoom level. The flaws only show on a map of the whole world.
Other comparisons
Each of these pairs has its own page that explains the differences, gives the historical context and answers common questions.