UN votes to change world map, raising questions about Africa’s true size and geography
The United Nations General Assembly recently approved a resolution advocating for the adoption of a new world map that provides a more accurate representation of the continents, particularly Africa. This initiative, backed by 164 member countries, aims to rectify the historical distortions seen in conventional world maps, most notably the traditional Mercator projection. The United States was the lone dissenting voice in the vote, with six nations choosing to abstain.
The resolution, primarily driven by several African nations, calls for the use of the Equal Earth cartographic projection. This new map is designed to enhance the accuracy of continental landmass representations while addressing the discrepancies inherent in the Mercator projection, which dates back to 1569. The Mercator map, originally intended for maritime navigation, disproportionately enlarges northern regions while compressing equatorial areas. As a result, regions such as Europe and North America appear significantly larger than they are in reality, while continents like Africa, despite being the second largest at approximately 30.3 million square kilometers, are misrepresented to appear much smaller, often compared in size to Greenland—a landmass that is, in fact, fourteen times smaller.
The Foreign Minister of Togo, Robert Dussey, articulated the importance of maps in shaping perceptions and education, stating that the resolution affirms “African reality.” France, which co-sponsored the initiative, echoed similar sentiments, arguing that the Mercator projection misrepresents global geographical realities, giving undue prominence to countries like the United States, Russia, and China.
Reactions to the resolution have generally been positive, with many countries recognizing the significance of adopting a more truthful geographical representation. The UN has clarified that while the resolution encourages adopting the Equal Earth projection, it does not mandate the abandonment of the Mercator map.
The Equal Earth projection was developed by a trio of cartographers in 2018 and is celebrated for maintaining the relative surface areas of continents while striving to depict their shapes more accurately. Although Friday’s resolution is non-binding, it is expected to influence future map-making practices worldwide.
The ongoing discussion surrounding cartography underscores deeper themes regarding representation, perception, and the importance of accurately portraying global diversity in a visually distorted world.
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