Think Everest is the ultimate peak? Think again. Earth science has a twist that might just flip your world upside down—especially if you’re from Southeast Asia.
Let’s start with what we’ve always believed: Mount Everest is the highest point on Earth. That’s technically true, but only when you measure from sea level. If you ask a slightly different question—which mountain peak is farthest from the center of the Earth?—you get a very different, and mind-blowing, answer.
Here’s why: our planet isn’t perfectly round. Due to its rotation, Earth bulges at the equator and flattens slightly at the poles, kind of like a squashed orange. This “equatorial bulge” makes spots near the equator sit naturally farther from the Earth’s core than locations closer to the poles. In fact, the distance from the center of the Earth to sea level is about 21 kilometers greater at the equator than at the poles.
That means if you want to find the point farthest from Earth’s center, you can’t just look at altitude. You need a one-two punch: a high mountain located very close to the equator. And here’s where Southeast Asia enters the game.
Within our vibrant region, stretching from Myanmar to Papua in Indonesia, the perfect combination of height and latitude can be found in two mountains. The first is Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia, a majestic peak on the island of Borneo standing 4,095 meters high, and sitting comfortably close to the equator at around 6.07°N. Not a bad start. But then there’s Puncak Jaya—also known as Carstensz Pyramid—in Indonesia’s Papua province. Towering at 4,884 meters and located even closer to the equator at about 4.08°S, it instantly becomes a formidable contender.
Of course, other tall peaks exist in the region—some even higher in elevation—but their locations further north disqualify them from competing for this unique title. The combination of great height and geographical advantage boils the race down to just two players: Kinabalu and Puncak Jaya.
And now, for the big reveal. Scientists have done the math, using precise geodetic calculations that account for both altitude and the Earth’s shape. The summit of Mount Kinabalu lies 6,382,046 meters from the planet’s center. Meanwhile, Puncak Jaya? A stunning 6,382,998 meters away. That’s a difference of nearly one full kilometer (952 meters, to be exact).
Indonesia wins.
Yes, the peak of Puncak Jaya in Papua is farther from the center of the Earth than Kinabalu—and even farther than Everest. Wait, what? Everest? Yep. While Everest towers at 8,848 meters, it’s located at about 28° north latitude. That’s much farther from the equator, and therefore, it doesn’t get the same “boost” from Earth’s bulge. Its distance from Earth’s center is roughly 6,382,279 meters—that’s 719 meters less than Puncak Jaya.
Let that sink in: Everest is taller, but Puncak Jaya is farther from Earth’s core. And globally? The crown goes to Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador, which, while only 6,263 meters tall, is practically sitting on the equator—and that gives it the edge worldwide.
But let’s bring it back home.
This isn’t just a piece of fun trivia—it’s a reminder of how fascinating and dynamic our planet really is. “Highest” doesn’t always mean “farthest.” Thanks to the wild geometry of our spinning Earth, location matters just as much as elevation. And in this case, Indonesia’s own Puncak Jaya is the undisputed champion of Southeast Asia—and a surprise contender on the global stage.
So next time someone says Everest is the top of the world, you can smile and say: Not from the Earth’s center, it’s not. The real sky king of Southeast Asia is right here in Indonesia.
