Equal Earth projection
Equal Earth is a modern attempt to satisfy two expectations: true areas and a map that still looks friendly. It is equal-area, but does not feel as aggressively stretched as Gall-Peters.
- Area
- Preserved
- Shape
- Distorted
- Angles and directions
- Distorted
An equal-area map designed for modern education
Equal Earth was introduced in 2018 as an answer to the long debate about showing the world more fairly. Its authors wanted to preserve area while avoiding the appearance that makes Gall-Peters hard for many people to accept. The result is soft, rounded, and very useful for education.
The main advantage appears with Africa, South America, and South Asia. Continents regain true visual weight while their shapes do not look as alien as in many older equal-area projections. It is a strong choice for schools, media, and data maps.
Distortion Properties
| Property | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| Area | PreservedPreserved (equal-area) |
| Shape | DistortedDistorted: stretched north to south in the tropics and mid-latitudes and compressed near the poles, but more gently than Gall-Peters |
| Distances | DistortedDistorted |
| Angles and directions | DistortedDistorted (not conformal) |
| Continuity | PreservedPreserved |
How to read this map
This map says: fair area first, but without punishing the reader with ugly geometry.
- Country areas are a much better basis for comparison than in Mercator.
- Shapes are still distorted, especially near the edges.
- Africa and South America regain visual scale.
- It works well for population, climate, and environmental maps.
What you gain and lose
Equal Earth preserves area while distributing shape distortion more gently than many older equal-area projections. It is still not suitable for navigation or exact distances.
Modern education, thematic maps, and global data visualization.
Navigation, detailed local maps, and direction measurement.
Not sure this projection fits your map? Answer three questions in the finder
Want to see it next to another projection? Compare: Equal Earth vs Mercator
Want to see how this projection draws empires? Empires at true scale
Can you recognize this projection without the label?
The projection quiz uses graticules and world outlines, so it is a natural next step from this page.
One attempt, the same set for everyone
Size illusion · Build a streak and come back tomorrow for another map.
How do different countries look in this projection?
Analyze shape distortions of 5 countries in this cartographic projection and test them in the sandbox.
Brazil shows the more natural weight of South America.
Test on map
Congo reminds us how large equatorial countries are.
Test on map
India is a good test of shape gentleness.
Test on map
Russia loses the artificial dominance of the north.
Test on map
Australia remains readable while area is preserved.
Test on mapOutlines are fitted individually to show shape. They do not share an area scale.
History & Origin
Created in 2018 by Bojan Šavrič, Tom Patterson, and Bernhard Jenny in response to the Boston Public Schools' 2017 decision to adopt the Gall-Peters projection. The goal was an equal-area projection that avoids the severe elongation of equatorial landmasses and looks similar to the Robinson projection.
Applications
Scientific publications, school textbooks, and global thematic maps that need to represent datasets relative to actual land area.
Facts worth remembering
- The projection was proposed in 2018 by Bojan Šavrič, Tom Patterson, and Bernhard Jenny.
- It belongs to a newer trend: maps should be both fair and visually attractive.
- Equal Earth is often recommended as a better educational alternative to Mercator.
Keep reading about maps that reshape intuition
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used for equal-area presentations in scientific papers and textbooks, replacing the visually unappealing Gall-Peters projection.
It must not be used for navigation or precise distance/bearing plotting.
Polar nations (Canada, Russia) and countries near the outer curves (like Australia), which undergo compression and slight tilt.
Countries near the central meridian (such as Congo, Algeria, Poland, and Germany). They look natural, although in the tropics and mid-latitudes they are slightly stretched north to south.
Both are equal-area. However, Gall-Peters is cylindrical and stretches shapes vertically. Equal Earth is pseudocylindrical with curved sides, making continents look much more natural and similar to the Robinson projection.
The UN recommended it but did not impose it. On 4 September 2026 the General Assembly adopted the non-binding “Correct the Map” resolution, tabled by Togo on behalf of the African states. It encourages governments, schools, media and technology companies to use equal-area maps, particularly Equal Earth, when comparing the size of continents matters.