The United Nations General Assembly will vote on Friday, September 4, on an African-led resolution calling for the wider adoption of world maps that represent continental sizes—particularly Africa—more accurately.
Drafted by Togo and endorsed by the African Union, the resolution encourages governments, educational institutions, international organizations, and technology companies to adopt the Equal Earth projection and other equal-area map projections when geographical size is a factor.
The proposal addresses the Mercator projection, developed by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569 primarily for navigation. The projection has been criticized for significantly diminishing the apparent size of Africa relative to other continents.
It projects the spherical Earth onto a flat surface, which disproportionately enlarges regions farther from the Equator.
A frequently cited example is Greenland, which appears comparable in size to Africa on Mercator maps despite Africa being roughly 14 times larger in actual land area.
The proposed Equal Earth projection is an equal-area alternative that maintains the relative size of landmasses, enabling more accurate continental comparisons.
The resolution does not seek to eliminate the Mercator projection, acknowledging that different projections serve distinct purposes, including navigation, while advocating equal-area maps for size comparisons.
Togo is spearheading the initiative at the United Nations on behalf of the African Union. Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey emphasized that African nations are seeking recognition of their true geographical size based on scientific evidence.
“We are not asking for a privilege. We are not asking for compassion,” he stated.
“This is not a political deal. It is a scientific deal. We simply want to reflect the real size we have in the world geographically.”
The resolution calls on educational institutions to use more proportionally accurate maps in geography curricula and urges engagement with tech companies and digital platforms to promote correct representations of continental sizes.
The initiative follows the African Union’s endorsement of the “Correct the Map” campaign in August 2025, after which Togo was tasked with leading international efforts on the issue.
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