UN backs a more realistic world map
Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
At a glance
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Approved/passed
- The UN General Assembly approved a resolution supporting world maps that represent land areas more accurately than Mercator maps.
- The resolution received support from 164 member states, while the United States voted against it and six countries abstained.
- Togo and the African Union introduced the resolution, which promotes projections such as Equal Earth.
The United Nations General Assembly has backed a push for world maps that show countries and continents in more realistic proportions. The resolution calls on states and international organizations to use cartographic projections such as Equal Earth rather than relying mainly on Mercator-style maps.
A total of 164 member states supported the resolution in Friday’s vote. The United States voted against it, while six countries abstained.
Togo and the African Union introduced the measure. It highlights the larger true size of Africa, Latin America, South Asia and Oceania compared with their appearance on traditional Mercator maps.
About this summary
Originally published by Der Standard in German. 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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