Projection lab

Mollweide projection: interactive map

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Map toolsCountries, projection, and layers

Select map projection:

Add a country or US state:

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Quick start

Add a country or US state, then drag its outline anywhere on the map.

Map center

Country at the center

Find a country

Change the world's centerOpen the full map with a country at its center.

About this map

Move countries and US states across the map, switch on distortion layers, and see what the Mollweide projection changes.

✈Great circle vs rhumb line: routes tool↗Projection Details ↗Equal-area, pseudocylindrical. The whole world fits inside a 2:1 ellipse, and the parallels are straight lines.

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Atlas of error · liveMollweideClick or tap a country to add its outline

Click a country on the map to add its outline.Tap a country on the map to add its outline.

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Mollweide projection at a glance

Distortion class: Equal-area
Graticule type: Pseudocylindrical
Creator: Karl Brandan Mollweide
Year: 1805
Area: Preserved (equal-area)
Shape: Distorted, most strongly near the edges of the ellipse, especially at high latitudes
Distances: Distorted; scale is true only along the 40°44′ N and S parallels
Angles and directions: Distorted; only two points are distortion-free: 40°44′ N and S on the central meridian

Add countries from the tools panel and drag them to other latitudes. The outline keeps its true shape and area on the globe, so any change in its size on the map shows this projection's distortion. Tissot's indicatrices and the area distortion map show the same effect across the whole world.

Full guide: Mollweide projection →Compare with another projection →Quiz: name the projection →