UN adopts resolution backing Equal Earth map to reflect Africa's true size

The United Nations General Assembly has voted to adopt a resolution promoting a new world map designed to show countries' true sizes more accurately. The measure, known as the "Correct the Map" resolution, was passed in New York on Friday and is aimed at encouraging use of the Equal Earth projection instead of the long-used Mercator map. Supporters say the change is intended to address a long-running distortion that has made Africa appear smaller than it is.

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The resolution passed by 164 votes to one, with six abstentions. It was sponsored by African states and the Bahamas, and Togo led the African Union campaign to limit the use of the Mercator projection. Togo's foreign minister, Robert Dussey, said ahead of the vote that "a fair world begins with a fair map." The resolution is not legally binding, and the Togolese ministry said it does not challenge the use of Mercator for maritime and aerial navigation.

The only vote against the measure came from the United States, which said the proposal promoted an ideological agenda and distracted from what it described as the genuine problems of international peace, prosperity and good relations. The vote gives formal backing to a campaign that has argued for years that the Mercator projection reinforces outdated perceptions by visually enlarging land masses closer to the poles. Advocates say the issue affects how Africa is seen in education, media, policy and digital platforms.

The debate matters because maps are not only technical tools but also shape public understanding of geography and scale. The Mercator projection, developed in the 16th century by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator, was designed for navigation and remains useful for that purpose. But critics say its continued use in classrooms and public-facing materials has helped sustain a skewed view of the world, particularly by making Greenland appear roughly the same size as Africa even though Africa is about 14 times larger.

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The resolution also reflects a broader effort by African governments and campaigners to challenge what they describe as colonial-era distortions in global representation. The African Union-backed push has been linked to the "Correct the World" map campaign, which argues that more accurate projections should be used in schools, textbooks, newsrooms, businesses and digital services. Moky Makura, executive director of Africa No Filter, said after the vote that "now the real work begins." What happens next is unclear, because the resolution does not force institutions to change their maps.

The practical impact will depend on whether governments, publishers, educators and technology companies choose to adopt the Equal Earth projection more widely. For now, the vote marks a symbolic win for supporters of the campaign, while leaving open how quickly the change will spread beyond the UN chamber.

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