U.N. to vote on a new world map that shows Africa at its true size
Translated from Danish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
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- The United Nations is due to vote on ending the official use of traditional Mercator maps in favor of projections that represent Africa’s size more accurately.
- The initiative came from Togo and member states of the African Union, according to Togo’s foreign minister, Robert Dussey.
- The Mercator projection makes countries near the equator appear smaller, showing Africa as roughly the size of Greenland even though it is 14 times larger.
The United Nations is set to vote on replacing the traditional Mercator world map with maps that show Africa more accurately.
Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey said the matter was being considered at the U.N. following an initiative by Togo and member states of the African Union.
The Mercator map, introduced by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569 to help sailors navigate the oceans, has remained the global standard for almost five centuries. Its projection, however, makes land near the equator appear much smaller than it is, while enlarging areas farther north and south.
Africa is a striking example. On the Mercator map, the continent appears similar in size to Greenland. In reality, Africa is 14 times larger than Greenland.
About this summary
Originally published by Berlingske in Danish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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