UN General Assembly Adopts Equal Earth Projection to Reflect Accurate Continental Sizes

The Mercator projection, designed in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator, was created to assist European explorers with global navigation.

Its design necessarily distorts surface area, making regions near the equator appear smaller and those nearer the poles disproportionately large—a compromise inherent in any two-dimensional representation of a sphere.

In 2018, a team of cartographers introduced the Equal Earth projection, an equal-area alternative crafted to preserve the true relative sizes of continents.

The African Union’s 54 member states adopted the Equal Earth projection in February, noting it more accurately represents the actual sizes of all continents, particularly Africa.

Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey highlighted the political significance of cartography, stating that a fair map is the foundation of a fair world.

He further noted at a UN briefing that maps are never neutral; they shape perceptions and influence how the placement of peoples and continents is understood globally.

While the UN vote is non-binding, it is expected to prompt updates to mapping standards used by institutions worldwide.

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