The UN General Assembly endorsed the Equal Earth projection to present continent sizes more accurately, spotlighting Africa’s true scale. The move is non-binding but could shift school maps, tech platforms, and official cartography over time.
Equal Earth is an equal-area projection that shows Africa much larger relative to Europe, North America and Greenland than Mercator does.
Practical next steps include talks led by Togo with UNESCO, the African Union and tech companies to encourage implementation.
Earth projection, a world map designed to represent land areas more accurately than the centuries-old Mercator projection. The vote was 164 in favour, one against (the United States) and six abstentions. The resolution does not ban Mercator or legally require countries or organizations to change the maps they use.
Mercator, created in 1569, preserves direction for navigation but inflates the size of regions near the poles and shrinks equatorial areas. A commonly cited visual mismatch is Greenland appearing similar in size to Africa on Mercator maps, while Africa is actually about 14 times larger. The unequal visual treatment has critics who argue it contributes to distorted perceptions of geopolitical importance.
Equal Earth, developed in 2018 by an international team of cartographers, is an equal-area projection. That means it preserves the relative sizes of landmasses, so continents and countries appear in more proportionate scale. The trade-off is the usual map-projection compromise: Equal Earth reduces area distortion but still alters shape and distance, particularly near the poles. No flat map can perfectly represent a sphere.
Political and educational implications
The resolution was led by Togo on behalf of the African Union and tied to the #CorrectTheMap campaign. Supporters framed the change as correcting long-standing cartographic distortions that can shape public perception in classrooms, textbooks and official materials. Because the UN action is non-binding, adoption will depend on governments, educational boards, publishers and technology companies choosing to update their maps.
Practical effects and existing moves
The UN decision is more a formal endorsement than a mandate. Classroom and corporate maps could change gradually as curriculum authorities, publishers and tech platforms adjust designs. Legacy uses of Mercator—for navigation, many online slippy maps, and older printed materials—will persist where its properties remain useful. Expect a phased, uneven shift rather than an immediate, global replacement.
Earth and equal-area approaches in the public conversation about maps and geopolitical perception. It increases pressure on education systems and map providers to reconsider the default projections they use, while leaving the choice to individual institutions and countries.
Togo-sponsored resolution called to phase out traditional map that depicts continent as similar size to Greenland The United Nations has voted to adopt a resolution for the world to formally phase out the traditional Mercator map of the globe in favour of one that more accurately displays Africa’s size. In a session at
The Equal Earth projection shows countries’ true size relative to one another, unlike the centuries-old Mercator map, which critics say makes Africa look smaller than it is.
The United Nations General Assembly voted on 4 September in favor of promoting a new world map designed to show the relative size of continents more accurately, in a move led by African countries and backed by the African Union. The resolution, introduced by Togo, passed with 164 countries voting in favor, one against
164 countries back resolution, US votes against Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Dike Nwamaeze in Lagos The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the weekend adopted a resolution promoting the wider use of
Equal Earth projection passes with 164 votes as Washington slams resolution
The UN General Assembly has just endorsed a new position on world maps that aims to represent the relative size of the world's land masses more accurately, with the difference being particularly obvious when you compare Africa and Greenland. The resolution, backed by 164 countries, promotes the use of equal-area projec
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