Global Assembly Approves Corrected Map Highlighting Africa’s True Proportions

The UN General Assembly on Friday approved a new world map that accurately reflects Africa’s true size, marking the culmination of a recent campaign driven by African nations and advocacy organizations.

The resolution, sponsored by Togo and supported by African Union members, passed with 164 member states voting in favor. The United States voted against it, while six other nations—Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Ukraine—abstained.

The vote urges governments and institutions worldwide to replace the traditional Mercator projection—commonly utilized since the 16th century—with the Equal Earth projection, which advocates and geographers argue displays geographic locations more accurately.

While the Mercator projection renders Greenland and Africa as seemingly similar in size, the Equal Earth projection displays continents in their true proportions, illustrating that Africa is 14 times larger than Greenland.

According to the U.N. report, the resolution does not ban the Mercator projection or mandate its replacement; rather, it merely encourages the adoption of the Equal Earth projection.

“Maps shape our understanding of the world,” Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey stated prior to the vote, as quoted by the global body. “They guide education, nourish the imagination, and influence collective perceptions.”

Africa No Filter, a leading campaigner for the new map’s adoption, praised the resolution, stating: “We want to see accurate maps in schools, textbooks, newsrooms, businesses, and on the digital platforms billions of people use every day.”

Several nations praised the adoption and called for the widespread use of the Equal Earth map. “Changing the map obviously doesn’t change the world, but correcting a representation that distorts it is already an act of truth,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot posted on X following the vote.

The Mercator map, designed by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator to assist European navigators at sea, has been criticized by advocates for distorting landmasses. They argue it enlarges regions near the poles, such as North America and Greenland, while shrinking Africa and South America.

Conversely, the 2018 Equal Earth projection follows the Earth’s curvature and presents continents in their true proportions.

Geographers maintain that the traditional map is only useful for navigation.

“Outside of that very narrow navigation application, there is no point in using it,” said Mark Monmonier, a geography professor at Syracuse University.

Source link