Africa’s true size finally revealed as UN approves new world map
The United Nations General Assembly has endorsed a new world map designed to give a more accurate picture of the size of Africa and other continents, in a move hailed as a major step towards correcting long-standing distortions in the way the world is represented.
The resolution, sponsored by Togo and supported by members of the African Union, was adopted on Friday with 164 countries voting in favour.
The United States was the only country to vote against the resolution, while six countries, Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine abstained.
The resolution encourages governments, schools, media organisations and institutions around the world to consider replacing the widely used Mercator projection with the Equal Earth projection, which more accurately represents the relative sizes of continents.
For centuries, the Mercator map has been one of the most familiar maps in classrooms, textbooks and publications. However, critics say its design significantly distorts the size of landmasses, particularly those located closer to the poles.
One of the clearest examples is the comparison between Africa and Greenland.
On the Mercator projection, Greenland appears almost comparable in size to Africa. But on the Equal Earth map, Africa is shown to be about 14 times larger than Greenland.
The difference has fuelled a campaign by African countries and advocacy groups seeking to change how the continent is visually represented around the world.
Togo’s Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey, said maps play a powerful role in shaping people’s understanding of the world.
“Maps shape our understanding of the world,” Dussey said, noting that they influence education, imagination and collective perceptions.
He also argued that correcting the way Africa is represented could help address misconceptions about the continent’s actual size and geographical significance.
Africa No Filter, one of the organisations that spearheaded the campaign, welcomed the UN decision and called for the more accurate map to be adopted in schools, textbooks, newsrooms, businesses and digital platforms.
The Equal Earth projection was developed in 2018 and was designed to preserve the relative proportions of continents while presenting the curved Earth on a flat surface.
The Mercator projection, meanwhile, was developed by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in the 16th Century, primarily to assist sailors with navigation. While it remains useful for maritime navigation, geographers say it is less suitable for accurately comparing the size of continents.
Mark Monmonier, a geography professor at Syracuse University, said the Mercator projection has little value outside its specific navigation purpose.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also welcomed the UN decision, saying that changing a map may not change the world, but correcting a distorted representation is an important step towards truth.
However, the UN resolution does not ban the Mercator projection or make the Equal Earth map compulsory.
Instead, it encourages countries and institutions to adopt projections that provide a more accurate representation of the world’s landmass.
For Africa, the decision represents more than a change in cartography. Supporters believe it could also help challenge generations of misconceptions about the continent and give millions of people a clearer picture of Africa’s true geographical scale.
Geographers say the traditional map is only useful for navigation.
“Outside of that very narrow navigation application, there is no point in using it,” according to Mark Monmonier, a Syracuse University professor of geography.