Goodbye to the map you knew: UN backs a change that shrinks the United States and enlarges Africa

The map projection used for generations is facing a symbolic challenge at the United Nations. The General Assembly approved a resolution on Sept. 4, 2026, supporting the gradual replacement of the Mercator map with Equal Earth.

The vote was 164 in favor, six abstentions and one against. The sole opposing vote came from the United States. Togo introduced the resolution with the 54 members of the African Union and the Bahamas.

Mercator was created in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator for maritime navigation. Its design keeps constant bearings at sea, but it makes territories near the poles look larger than they are. Greenland, for example, appears nearly as large as Africa on the familiar map. In reality, Africa is 14 times larger than Greenland, whose actual area is similar to that of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Equal Earth, a projection created in 2018, represents territorial proportions more accurately. Under it, Africa, Latin America, South Asia and Oceania appear larger than they do on Mercator, while the United States, Canada, Russia and Greenland appear smaller.

The U.S. representative to the UN criticized the initiative as a waste of time and credibility, saying the General Assembly should focus on “genuine international peace problems” rather than map projections from the 16th century. The resolution, however, does not require governments, schools or media outlets to change their maps immediately. It also does not prohibit Mercator. Togo’s foreign ministry said the projection remains fully valid for maritime and air navigation. The international backing could nevertheless encourage changes in textbooks, digital platforms and media. France has already announced plans to move away from Mercator.

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genuine international peace problems