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UN adopts resolution backing a world map that more accurately reflects continent sizes

From Cooperativa · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News From a news agency Approved/passed
  • The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution supporting maps that more accurately represent the relative sizes of the continents.
  • The measure passed with support from 164 countries, while the United States voted against it and six countries abstained.
  • The initiative, promoted by Togo, encourages the U.N. and agencies such as UNESCO to use projections including Equal Earth instead of relying on Mercator.

The United Nations has backed a change to the world map, seeking to replace a design that has made Africa appear disproportionately small for centuries.

The General Assembly adopted the resolution with 164 countries in favor. The United States voted against it, while six countries abstained. The initiative was promoted by Togo.

The resolution calls for a gradual move away from the Mercator projection, the map design introduced in 1569 and still widely used today. It does not ban Mercator, but encourages the United Nations and agencies such as UNESCO to adopt alternatives that better reflect the actual surface area of the continents.

Among the proposed alternatives is Equal Earth, a projection designed in 2018. The resolution says it offers a more accurate representation of the size of the continents, particularly Africa, whose scale has long appeared reduced on conventional world maps.

About this summary

Originally published by Cooperativa in Spanish. 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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