UN Backs New World Map Resolution to Show Africa's True Size

The United Nations General Assembly has endorsed a resolution backing world maps that depict Africa's size more accurately, moving away from the widely used but outdated Mercator projection. The "Correct the Map" resolution, tabled by Togo and backed by African Union members, was endorsed by 164 countries, with the United States voting against it and six countries abstaining. Although the resolution is not binding, it could influence the maps used by various international organisations, and has revived debate over how map projections shape perceptions of the size and importance of continents.

What the UN Voted On

The UN General Assembly voted for the "Correct the Map" resolution, which aims to promote the use of world maps that offer a more accurate depiction of continent sizes. The resolution was brought by Togo along with other African Union supporters, and was approved by 164 member states, including France and the United Kingdom. The United States was the only country to vote against the resolution, while six others abstained. Because the resolution is non-binding, it does not immediately require government bodies, educational institutions or international organisations to switch from the maps currently in use.

Why Africa Looks Smaller on the Mercator Projection

The issue centres on the Mercator projection, a widely used world map. Developed by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569 to help explorers with navigation, the projection is valued for maintaining directions accurately, but its major drawback is that it distorts the sizes of landmasses. Areas closer to the poles appear larger, while those near the equator appear comparatively smaller. For instance, Greenland looks about the same size as Africa on a Mercator map, even though Africa's actual land area is about 30.4 million square kilometres compared with Greenland's 2.2 million square kilometres, making Africa around 14 times larger.

The Equal Earth Map Projection

The Equal Earth projection map was designed by cartographers in 2018 to offer a better representation of the relative areas of continents. Unlike the Mercator projection, Equal Earth is an equal-area map projection, giving a far more accurate picture of the real area of different regions. In February, 54 African Union member states adopted the Equal Earth projection map, noting that it gives a much more accurate representation of the sizes of Africa and other continents, making it a key part of the #CorrectTheMap campaign that seeks wider use of maps showing the true sizes of Africa and other continents.

Why the Map Dispute Matters

Supporters of the campaign say the issue goes beyond cartography, since maps shape perceptions of the world. When a continent is repeatedly shown as disproportionately smaller than others, it can shape perceptions of its real geographical size, natural resources, population and economy. Campaigners have suggested the traditional depiction contributed to misperceptions of Africa, with Kenyan geographer Kioko Muendo noting that maps can shape political and economic perceptions of regions, and Togo's foreign affairs minister Robert Dussey a strong supporter of fairer representation of the world on maps.

France's Position on the Mercator Projection

France has also supported the adoption of maps that more accurately portray the world's landmasses. French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the foreign ministry would no longer use the Mercator map, noting that while changing a map does not change the world, correcting a distorted one helps people understand the world better. Support from countries outside Africa has raised the international visibility of the campaign.

Why the US Opposed the Resolution

The US took a different view. Its representative, Yarina Ferencevych, expressed disagreement with the resolution before the vote, saying the UN General Assembly should focus on serious matters of international importance such as peace, prosperity and relations, rather than map projections.

What Happens Next

Since the resolution is non-binding, the vote will not automatically change all maps used around the world. Its significance lies in the possibility that it could motivate countries, educational bodies, international organisations and cartographers to consider projections that better represent continents. For Africa, the debate serves as a reminder of the continent's true size and the myths created by traditional maps.