Military ruggedness and precision

Compass balancing zones

The horizontal and vertical components of the earth's magnetic field vary considerably in
different locations (from vertical at the magnetic poles, to horizontal near the equator).
Consequently, one end of a magnetic needle has a tendency to dip down in areas that lie
between the poles and the equator. In order to get an
accurate reading from a compass, the compass needle
needs to be "balanced" in the capsule, so it does not
drag on the top or bottom of the capsule. As a result of
these magnetic variances, the compass industry has
divided the earth into 5 "zones", as identified in the right
map. As seen from the map, the zone boundaries do not
follow a mathematical pattern. They are just as
complicated as nature itself. When the regional
differences are minimal for a particular country, the
whole country is included in the same zone. A compass needle
may show a slight tendency to dip in an area between two zones.
However, the farther a compass is used from its correct zone, the
more its pointer tilts. In extreme cases, the pointer will stick, e.g. a
compass needle that "balances" perfect in North America will
drag or stick in South America. The left figure shows how the MN-
zone-balance compass needle is affected when used in other
magnetic zones. For this reason it is extremely important to know
in which zone a compass will be used, because each zone
requires that the compass you use is calibrated differently. Steiner's integrated compasses are
also balanced for different magnetic zones as shown in the tables below.

Zone
Magnetic Zone Zone Balance Balance
(StO)
1 0.0°
MN
1 0.5° N↑ 2 0.4° N↓
(Magnetic North)
NME
2 1.9° N↓ 3 1.8° N↓
(North of ME)

3/4 2.9° N↓
ME
3 5.0° N↓ 4 5.6° N↓
(Magnetic Equator)
SME
4 7.8° N↓ 5 10.1° N↓
(South of ME)
MS
5 12.0° N↓
(Magnetic South)
10/01

StO-Zone 1 StO-Zone 2 StO-Zone 3 StO-Zone 4 StO-Zone 5

Alaska [U.S.] U.S.A. Central America South America (except Southern Parts of Chile
Canada Europe Caribbean Sea Islands Southern Parts of Chile & Argentina
Greenland Russia (South) Africa (North) & Argentina) Falkland Islands
Iceland Turkey Middle East (North) Africa (Central) Africa (South)
Svalbard [Norway] Commonwealth of Afghanistan Middle East (South) Madagascar
Russia (North) Independent States Pakistan India (Central & South) Australia
Mongolia India (North) Sri Lanka Fiji
China (North) China (South) South East Asia New Zealand
Korea Papua New Guinea Antarctica
Japan
Military ruggedness and precision
Detailed list of STEINER's balancing zones:
Afghanistan 3 Gambia 4 Nigeria 4
Albania 2 Georgia 2 Norway 2
Algeria 3 Germany 2 Norway [Svalbard] 1
Angola 4 Ghana 4 Oman 4
Antarctica 5 Greece 2 Pakistan 3
Argentina 4 Greenland 1 Panama 3, 3/4
Armenia 2 Guatemala 3 Papua New Guinea 4
Australia 5 Guinea 4 Paraguay 4
Austria 2 Guinea-Bissan 4 Peru 4
Azerbaijan 2 Guyana 4 Philippines 4
Azores 2 Haiti 3 Poland 2
Bahama Islands 3 Honduras 3 Portugal 2
Bangladesh 3, 3/4 Hungary 2 Puerto Rico 3
Barain 4 Iceland 1 Qatar 4
Belarus 2 India (Central & South) 3/4, 4 Romania 2
Belgium 2 India (North) 3, 3/4 Russia (North) 1
Belize 3 Indonesia 4 Russia (South) 2
Benin 4 Iran 3 Rwanada 4
Bhutan 3 Iraq 3 Samoa 5
Bolivia 4 Ireland 2 Saudi Arabia 4
Bosnia & Herzegivina 2 Israel 3 Senegal 3/4, 4
Botswana 5 Italy 2 Sierra Leone 4
Brazil 4 Ivory Cost 4 Singapore 4
Bulgaria 2 Jamaica 3 Slovenia 2
Burkina Faso 4 Japan 3 Solomon Islands 4
Burma 3/4,4 Jordan 3 Somalia 4
Burundi 4 Kap Verde Islands 3 South Africa 5
Cambodia 4 Kazakhstan 2 Spain 2
Canada 1 Kenya 4 Sri Lanka 4
Canary Islands 3 Korea 3 Sudan 4
Central African Republic 4 Kuwait 3 Surinam 4
Chad 4 Kyrgyzstan 2 Swaziland 5
Chile 4 Laos 4 Sweden 2
China (North) 2 Latvia 2 Switzerland 2
China (South) 3 Lebanon 3 Syria 3
Colombia 4 Lesotho 5 Taiwan 3
Congo 4 Liberia 4 Tajikistan 2
Cook Islands 5 Libya 3, 3/4 Tanzania 4
Costa Rica 3 Lithuania 2 Thailand 4
Croatia 2 Luxenbourg 2 Togo 4
Cuba 3 Madagascar 5 Tonga 5
Cyprus 2 Malawi 5 Tunisia 3
Czech Republic 2 Malaysia 4 Turkey 2
Denmark 2 Maldives 4 Turkmenistan 2
Djibouti 4 Mali 4 U.S.A. 2
Dominican Republik 3 Marshall Islands 4 U.S.A. [Alaska] 1
East Timor 4 Mauretania 3 Uganda 4
Ecuador 4 Mazedonia 2 Ukraine 2
Egypt 3, 3/4 Mexico 3 United Arab. Emirates 4
El Salvador 3 Moldova 2 United Kingdom 2
Equatorial Guinea 4 Mongolia 2 Uruguay 4
Eritrea 4 Morocco 3 Uzbekistan 2
Estland 2 Mozambique 5 Venezuela 4
Ethiopia 4 Namibia 5 Vietnam 4
Falkland Islands 5 Nepal 3 Western Sahara 3
Fiji 5 Netherlands 2 Yemen 4
Finland 2 New Caledonia 5 Yugoslavia 2
France 2 New Zealand 5 Zambia 5
French Guiana 4 Nicaragua 3 Zimbabwe 5
Gabon 4 Niger 4

Arabian Sea 4 Denmark Strait 1 Laptev Sea 1

Aral Sea 2 East China Sea 3 Mediterranean Sea 2
Baffin Bay 1 East Sibiria 1 Mozambique Channel 5
Baltic Sea 2 Great Australian Bight 5 North Sea 2
Barents Sea 1 Greenland Sea 1 Persian Gulf 3
Bay of Bengal 4 Gulf of Aden 4 Philippine Sea 4
Beaifort Sea 1 Gulf of Bothnia 2 Red Sea 4
Bering Sea 2 Gulf of Carpentania 5 Sea of Japan 3
Black Sea 2 Gulf of Guinea 4 Sea of Okhotsk 2
Caribbean Sea 3 Gulf of Mexico 3 South China Sea 4
Caspian Sea 2 Hudson Bay 1 Tasman Sea 5
Chukchi Sea 1 Kara Sea 1 Yellow Sea 3
Coral Sea 5 Labrador Sea 1
Davis Strait 1 Lake Victoria 4
Military ruggedness and precision

STEINER's balancing zones: North America

Central America
Zone 1 The Caribbean Sea Islands Arctic
Ocean
Zone 2

Zone 3
1
b d g
Zone 4
a
Zone 5
3a
e h
c
2
f

3
North
Atlantic
North Ocean
Pacific 3b
Sea

12
13
i 14
4
17
j
5
8
16 15

6 9

7
10 11

1 Greenland 1 9 Nicaragua 3 a Chukchi Sea 1

2 Canada 1 10 Costa Rica 3 b Beaufort Sea 1
3 United States 2 11 Panama 3 c Hudson Bay 1
3a Alaska [U.S.] 1 12 The Bahamas 3 d Baffin Bay 1
3b Hawaiian Islands [U.S.] 2 13 Cuba 3 e Davis Strait 1
4 Mexico 3 14 Haiti 3 f Labrador Sea 1
5 Belize 3 15 Dominican Republic 3 g Greenland Sea 1
6 Guatemala 3 16 Jamaica 3 h Denmark Strait 1
7 El Salvador 3 17 Puerto Rico 3 i Gulf of Mexico 3
8 Honduras 3 j Caribbean Sea 3
Military ruggedness and precision

STEINER's balancing zones: South America

Zone 1

Zone 2
3
4
Zone 3
2 5
Zone 4
1
6
Zone 5

10

11

South 12
Pacific
13
Sea
14

South
Atlantic
Ocean

15

1 Colombia 4 9 Brazil 4
2 Venezuela 4 10 Bilivia 4
3 Guyana 4 11 Paraguay 4
4 Surinam 4 12 Chile 4
5 French Guiana 4 13 Argentina 4
6 Galapagos Islands 4 14 Uruguay 4
7 Ecuador 4 15 Falkland Islands 4
8 Peru 4
Military ruggedness and precision

STEINER's balancing zones: Africa

Zone 1 4

Zone 2
a
Zone 3
2
Zone 4 3
5
Zone 5 6
1 b

7
12 27
8 14 15
16 29
13
9
23 28 30
10 19 26
25
11
c 34
17 20 22
18
33 d
21 24
35
36 e
31 32

37
38 40
South
f
Atlantic 43 47
Ocean 41 39
42

Indian
44
Sea
46
45

1 West Sahara 3 19 Ivory Coast 4 37 Angola 5

2 Morocco 3 20 Ghana 4 38 Zambia 5
3 Algeria 3 21 Togo 4 39 Malawi 5
4 Tunisia 3 22 Benin 4 40 Mozambique 5
5 Libya 3 23 Nigeria 4 41 Namibia 5
6 Egypt 3 24 Equatorial Guinea 4 42 Botswana 5
7 Mauritania 4 25 Cameroon 4 43 Zimbabwe 5
8 Senegal 4 26 Central African Rep. 4 44 Swaziland 5
9 The Gambia 4 27 Eritrea 4 45 Lesotho 5
10 Guinea Bassau 4 28 Ethiopia 4 46 South Africa 5
11 Guinea 4 29 Djibouti 4 47 Madagascar 5
12 Mali 4 30 Somalia 4
13 Burkina Faso 4 31 Gabon 4 a Mediterranean Sea 2
14 Niger 4 32 Rep. of the Congo 4 b Red Sea 4
15 Chad 4 33 Dem. Rep. o.t. Congo 4 c Gulf of Guinea 4
16 Sudan 4 34 Uganda 4 d Lake Viktoria 4
17 Sierra Leone 4 35 Burundi 4 e Gulf of Aden 4
18 Liberia 4 36 Tanzania 4 f Mozambique Channel 5
Military ruggedness and precision

STEINER's balancing zones: Middle East

Commonwealth of Independent States
Zone 1

Zone 2

Zone 3

Zone 4
a
Zone 5 4
3
6 7

5
2
c 8
b
9
1
14 17
10 16

11 18
15
12
19
13 d
20 21

e 22

23
Indian
Sea
f

1 Cyprus 2 13 Saudi Arabia 4 a Black Sea 2

2 Turkey 2 14 Iraq 3 b Mediterranean Sea 2
3 Armenia 2 15 Kuwait 3 c Caspian Sea 2
4 Azerbaijan 2 16 Iran 3 d Persian Gulf 3
5 Turkmenistan 2 17 Afghanistan 3 e Red Sea 4
6 Uzbekistan 2 18 Pakistan 3 f Arabian Sea 4
7 Kyrgyzstan 2 19 Bahrain 4
8 Tajikistan 2 20 Qatar 4
9 Syria 3 21 United Arab. Emirates 4
10 Lebanon 3 22 Oman 4
11 Israel 3 23 Yemen 4
12 Jordan 3
 Military ruggedness and precision

a
STEINER's balancing zones: Europe

1
4

Zone 1
3 b
Zone 2

Zone 3 2

Zone 4

Zone 5
5
6

7
d 9 c
8

15
11 10 12
14
16
13
17
18
22
21 25
19 20 23
27 24
28
26
North 29
30
f
Atlantic 35
37
34
Ocean 33
32
31

e
36

1 Iceland 2 15 Belarus 2 30 Yugoslavia 2

2 Norway 2 16 Belgium 2 31 Potugal 2
3 Sweden 2 17 Czech republic 2 32 Spain 2
4 Finland 2 18 Ukraine 2 33 Albania 2
Russia (North) 1 19 France 2 34 Mazedonia 2
5
Russia (South) 2 20 Switzerland 2 35 Bulgaria 2
6 Estland 2 21 Austria 2 36 Greece 2
7 Latvia 2 22 Slovakia 2 37 Georgia 2
8 Lithuania 2 23 Hungary 2
9 Denmark 2 24 Romania 2 a Barents Sea 1
10 United Kingdom 2 25 Moldova 2 b Gulf of Bothnia 2
11 Ireland 2 26 Italy 2 c Baltic Sea 2
12 The Netherlands 2 27 Slovenia 2 d North Sea 2
13 Germany 2 28 Croatia 2 e Mediterranean Sea 2
14 Poland 2 29 Bosnia & Herzegovina 2 f Black Sea 2
Military ruggedness and precision

STEINER's balancing zones: Asia

Zone 1

Zone 2
Arctic
Ocean
Zone 3

Zone 4
a
Zone 5 b

d
e

2
3
f North
g Pacific
5 Sea
4 h 7
6

1 Russia 1 5 North Korea 3 a Kara Sea 1

2 Kazakhstan 2 6 South Korea 3 b East Sibiria 1
3 Mongolia 2 7 Japan 3 c Chukchi Sea 1
China (North) 2 d Bering Sea 2
4
China (South) 3 e Sea of Okhotsk 2
f Aral Sea 2
g Sea of Japan 3
h Yellow sea 3
i East China Sea 3
j South China Sea 4
Military ruggedness and precision

STEINER's balancing zones: South East Asia

Zone 1

Zone 2

Zone 3
2
3 Zone 4
North Zone 5
Pacific
1 7 Sea
8

4
5

6
a b
c
9

11
17
13

12
16

Indian 14 14
Sea

15 d

India (North) 3 9 Cambodia 4 a Bay of Bengal 4

1
India (Central & South) 4 10 Philippines 4 b South Chinese Sea 4
2 Nepal 3 11 Sri Lanka 4 c Philippine Sea 4
3 Bhutan 3 12 Maldives 4 d Gulf of Caretania 5
4 Burma 4 13 Malaysia 4
5 Bangladesh 3 14 Indonesia 4
6 Thailand 4 15 East Timor 4
7 Laos 4 16 Singapore 4
8 Vietnam 4 17 Brunei 4
 Military ruggedness and precision

STEINER's balancing zones: Oceania

Zone 1

Zone 2

Zone 3

Zone 4

Zone 5

1
3

Indian
a b
Sea 4

2
5

South
Pacific
c Sea

d
6

1 Papua New Guinea 4 4 Fiji 5 a Gulf of Carpentania 5

Australia (North & Centr.) 5 5 New Caledonia 5 b Coral Sea 5
2
Australia (South) 6 6 New Zealand 6 c Great Australian Bight 4
3 Solomon Islands 5 d Tasman Sea 6