How Mercator area scale grows with latitude
For the spherical Mercator used in this demonstration, local linear scale is approximately sec(latitude), so local area scale is its square. The figures describe a small patch centred on each parallel—not Alaska as one uniformly enlarged object.
| Reference latitude | Approx. linear scale | Approx. local area scale |
|---|---|---|
| 50° | 1.56× | 2.42× |
| 60° | 2.00× | 4.00× |
| 65° | 2.37× | 5.60× |
| 70° | 2.92× | 8.55× |
This is a projection-scale diagnostic, not an area estimate. A state spanning many latitudes receives a continuously changing scale across its outline.
The short answer
Alaska is the largest U.S. state, but its familiar world-map silhouette receives extra visual area from Mercator because the state lies far north. On Mercator, scale increases as latitude approaches a pole.
That does not make Mercator mathematically wrong. It makes it unsuitable for judging relative area on a world map, which is a different task from preserving local angles for navigation.
Why one multiplier would be misleading
Alaska extends across a wide band of latitude. Mercator scale is therefore not constant from its southern islands to its Arctic coast, so a single claim that the whole state is enlarged by one exact factor would hide the geometry.
The table samples reference parallels to show the pattern. Around 60° north, a small surface patch occupies about four times its globe-area share on a spherical Mercator map; farther north, the factor rises rapidly.
Alaska is not a country profile
EqualAtlas currently maps complete country and territory geometries, so Alaska remains part of the United States profile rather than being presented as a separate country. This guide discusses the state as a projection example without creating a misleading atlas entity.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports Alaska's 2020 land area separately. That official state statistic and EqualAtlas's generalized United States geometry answer different boundary and measurement questions.
What Equal Earth changes
Equal Earth keeps relative area consistent across latitude. Alaska still appears large because it is large, but it no longer receives the additional footprint created by Mercator's polar scale growth.
Shape and angles still change on an equal-area map. The appropriate conclusion is not that one flat map preserves everything, but that an area comparison should use an area-preserving view.
A classroom test
Open the full-screen map, focus on the United States and switch between Equal Earth and Mercator. Watch Alaska and the conterminous states separately, then describe which visual change comes from latitude rather than from a change in real land area.
Explore the evidence
Sources and further reading
Continue with the Equal Earth projection guide, try the interactive map, or review our methodology.