The United Nations General Assembly on Friday backed a resolution promoting the use of a world map that more accurately represents the relative size of continents, in a move led by African countries to address long-standing distortions in global maps.
The resolution, known as “Correct the Map,” was adopted by a vote of 164 in favour, one against and six abstentions, with the United States casting the sole opposing vote.
The initiative promotes the Equal Earth projection, which provides a more accurate representation of the relative size of land masses than the widely used Mercator projection.
The Mercator projection, developed in the 16th century, distorts the size of areas farther from the Equator. As a result, Africa appears significantly smaller relative to regions in the Northern Hemisphere than its actual land area.
For African countries backing the initiative, the issue goes beyond cartography. Supporters argue that distorted maps have contributed over time to perceptions that underestimate Africa’s geographical scale, infrastructure needs and economic and development potential.
The African Union (AU) adopted the Equal Earth projection earlier this year before asking Togo to take the initiative to the United Nations. Togo led the campaign at the General Assembly, framing the change as part of broader efforts to address the historical legacy of distorted representations of Africa.
Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey said the campaign was based on scientific considerations and was intended to give future generations a more accurate understanding of the world.
The resolution is not legally binding, meaning governments and institutions will not be required to abandon the Mercator projection. It also does not affect the projection’s continued use for maritime and aerial navigation, where it remains useful.
The vote could nevertheless influence how maps are presented in schools, institutions and digital platforms. Togo has said it plans to update its school geography materials by the end of the year and encourage wider adoption of the new projection.
Also, France announced that it would move away from the Mercator projection, adding momentum to the campaign for alternative world maps.
