The highest mountain on earth is Mt. Everest in Nepal at 29,029 feet above sea level. However, it
not the point on earth that is farthest from the center of the planet. That honor belongs to the volcano called Chimborazo in Ecuador.
The summit of the Chimborazo is the fixed point on Earth which has the utmost distance from the center – because of the modified ball shape of the planet Earth which is “thicker” around the Equator than measured around the poles.[note 3] Chimborazo is one degree south of the Equator and the Earth’s diameter at the Equator is greater than at the latitude of Everest (8,848 m (29,029 ft) above sea level), nearly 28° north, with sea level also elevated. Despite being 2,580 m (8,465 ft) lower in elevation above sea level, it is 6,384.4 km (3,967.1 mi) from the Earth’s centre, 2,168 m (7,113 ft) or 2.168 km (1.347 mi) farther than the summit of Everest (6,382.3 km (3,965.8 mi) from the Earth’s center).[note 4] However, by the criterion of elevation above sea level, Chimborazo is not even the highest peak of the Andes.
Imagine that!
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