U.N. endorses map that shows Africa at its true scale

The United Nations General Assembly has endorsed a new world map that presents Africa at its true scale, completing a campaign led by African countries and advocacy groups.

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Maps shape our understanding of the world. They guide education, nourish the imagination, and influence collective perceptions.

Togo sponsored the resolution, which received 164 votes in favor. The United States voted against it, while Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine abstained. The measure encourages governments and institutions to replace the traditional Mercator projection with Equal Earth, but it does not impose a ban or require an immediate replacement.

The Mercator projection, widely used since the 16th century, makes Greenland and Africa appear roughly similar in size. Equal Earth shows Africa as 14 times larger than Greenland, reflecting the continents’ actual proportions. The newer projection, introduced in 2018, follows the Earth’s curvature and is intended to reduce the distortion caused by enlarging regions near the poles and shrinking Africa and South America.

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We want to see accurate maps in schools, textbooks, newsrooms, businesses and on the digital platforms billions of people use every day.

“Maps shape our understanding of the world,” Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey said before the vote, according to the U.N. “They guide education, nourish the imagination, and influence collective perceptions.” Africa No Filter, one of the campaign’s leading groups, said it wanted accurate maps in schools, textbooks, newsrooms, businesses and the digital platforms used by billions of people.

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Changing the map obviously doesn't change the world. But correcting a representation that distorts it is already an act of truth.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on X that changing a map does not change the world, but correcting a distorted representation is “already an act of truth.” Syracuse University geography professor Mark Monmonier said the Mercator map had value for navigation, but “outside of that very narrow navigation application, there is no point in using it.”

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Outside of that very narrow navigation application, there is no point in using it.