The summit of Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador is the point on Earth’s surface farthest from the planet’s center due to Earth’s equatorial bulge, meaning Chimborazo’s peak is farther from Earth’s center than Mount Everest even though Everest is higher above sea level.
Location and elevation
Chimborazo is an inactive stratovolcano in the Ecuadorian Andes with a summit elevation of about 6,263 meters above sea level; its position roughly one degree south of the Equator places it on the widest part of Earth’s equatorial bulge.
Why it is farthest from Earth’s center
Because Earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate spheroid that bulges at the equator, points near the equator are physically farther from the planet’s center than points at higher latitudes; Chimborazo’s equatorial location gives its summit a greater distance to Earth’s center than higher mountains located farther from the equator.
Everest versus Chimborazo
Mount Everest remains the highest mountain above mean sea level and the common reference for “tallest,” while Chimborazo holds the distinction of being the farthest point from Earth’s center because of latitude and the planet’s shape.
Significance and visits
The Chimborazo fact highlights how different ways of measuring height produce different “records,” and reaching Chimborazo’s summit requires high‑altitude mountaineering similar to other Andean giants, with cultural and scientific interest around its glaciers, geology and equatorial setting.
Quick related facts
- Peak: Chimborazo summit ~6,263 m above sea level.
- Why farthest: equatorial bulge increases distance from Earth’s center.
- Comparison: Everest is highest above sea level; Chimborazo is farthest from the center.