The United Nations General Assembly voted on Friday to adopt a new cartographic projection, with 164 nations supporting the move, the United States opposing it, and six countries abstaining. The resolution promotes the Equal Earth projection as a more accurate way to represent continental landmasses, aiming to correct long-standing distortions in how the world is visually perceived.
Spearheaded by African nations, the initiative highlights the flaws of the Mercator projection, created by Gerardus Mercator in 1569. While the Mercator method remains useful for navigation because it preserves shapes and angles, it significantly enlarges areas near the poles and shrinks those near the equator. This distortion makes Greenland appear roughly the same size as Africa, despite Africa being approximately 14 times larger in actual area.
Robert Dussey, Togo’s foreign minister, emphasized the cultural and educational impact of maps. “Maps shape our understanding of the world,” Dussey told the assembly. “They guide education, nourish the imagination, and influence collective perceptions… when they present a distorted image of our planet, they risk perpetuating inaccurate representation that are passed down through generation.” He noted that Togo plans to replace the Mercator maps in its schools by the end of the year, linking the traditional map’s prevalence to the legacy of colonization.
France, a co-sponsor of the resolution, announced it would also abandon the Mercator projection. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated that the current system gives disproportionate visual prominence to the United States, Russia, and China compared to Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. “Changing maps obviously doesn’t change the world,” Barrot said. “But correcting a distorted representation is already an act of truth.”
Supporters of the change, including the online campaign group #CorrectTheMap, have pointed out that the US, China, India, Japan, Mexico, and much of Europe could fit within the borders of Africa with space to spare.
The United States stood alone in voting against the resolution. Yaryna Ferencevych, the US representative, argued that the proposal pushed an “ideological agenda” and diverted attention from critical issues regarding international peace and prosperity. She stated, “Instead of focusing on genuine problems… this body is debating map projects from the 16th century and their role in promoting reparations and cognitive justice.”
The remaining abstentions came from Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Morocco, Serbia, and Ukraine. The UN clarified that the vote is not legally binding and does not challenge the continued use of the Mercator projection for maritime and aerial navigation, where it remains fully suitable.
Finally! It’s about time we stopped using a 16th-century projection that makes Africa look tiny. Thanks to Togo for leading this.
Does anyone else find it strange that the US voted against a factually more accurate map? Priorities, really.
Wait, does this change how we navigate planes and ships, or is Mercator still the standard for practical purposes?
I never realized Europe and the US could fit inside Africa. Mind blown. We definitely need better geography education.