UN Votes to Adopt New World Map to Reflect Africa’s True Si

• The UN General Assembly passed the 'Correct the Map' resolution with 164 votes in favour, sponsored by Togo and backed by African Union members
• The Mercator map, in use since the 16th century, depicts Africa as similar in size to Greenland despite Africa being 14 times larger
• The United States cast the only vote against the resolution, with six nations abstaining from the historic ballot

The United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to replace the Mercator world map with one that more accurately represents the true size of Africa and other countries near the equator.

The resolution, titled "Correct the Map" and co-sponsored by Togo with backing from all 54 African Union member states, passed on Friday with 164 votes in favour.

Why the Mercator map has faced criticism

France and the United Kingdom were among the nations that supported the motion. The United States was the sole country to vote against it, with six nations choosing to abstain.

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The Mercator projection was designed in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator to assist European explorers in navigating the world's oceans.

Because it is impossible to accurately render a spherical surface onto a flat plane, the map introduces distortions that make countries closer to the poles appear significantly larger than they are, while those near the equator are shown as smaller.

The most cited example is Africa and Greenland. Under the Mercator projection, both appear roughly comparable in size, yet Africa is 14 times larger in reality. Critics have long argued that this distortion minimises perceptions of the development needs and economic potential of equatorial nations, many of which are in Africa.

Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey, speaking to Reuters ahead of the vote, made the case for change plainly: "A fair world begins with a fair map."

Addressing a UN briefing earlier, he argued that cartography was far from a neutral exercise: "A map is never neutral. It shapes perceptions, influences how the place of peoples and continents in the world is understood."

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Equal earth projection set to replace Mercator

The resolution points to the Equal Earth projection as the preferred alternative. Developed in 2018 by a team of cartographers, the Equal Earth map is specifically designed to represent all land masses at their correct relative sizes.

In February this year, the African Union's 54 member states formally adopted it, describing it as a map that "more accurately represents the sizes of all continents, particularly Africa."

Although the UN vote is non-binding in legal terms, it is expected to prompt institutions, schools, and organisations around the world to update the maps they use in official settings and educational materials.

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Source: YEN.com.gh