The United Nations General Assembly is set to vote on Friday regarding a resolution that would formally phase out the traditional Mercator map projection in favor of one that more accurately represents the true size of Africa.
Togo has sponsored the resolution, which seeks to replace the long-standing map that depicts the African continent as being roughly similar in size to Greenland. Robert Dussey, Togo’s foreign affairs minister, stated that the initiative is backed by all 54 member states of the African Union, though he did not disclose the total number of supporting countries globally.
Finally! I grew up thinking Greenland was bigger than Africa—this map taught me wrong for decades.
Smart move by the UN. Maps aren’t neutral—they shape how we see the world and its people.
Will this actually change anything? My textbooks still show Mercator and my GPS app won’t switch overnight.