The UN General Assembly has voted in favor of replacing the widely used Mercator world map with a projection that more accurately reflects the size of Africa. The non-binding “Correct the Map” resolution, sponsored by Togo and backed by African Union member states, received support from 164 countries, including France and the United Kingdom. The United States was the only country to vote against it, and six nations abstained.
The Mercator projection, created in the 16th century to assist navigation, has long been criticized for distorting the size of countries and continents by making areas near the poles appear larger and regions near the equator smaller. Africa, for example, appears to be roughly the same size as
Greenland on some Mercator maps, despite being about 14 times larger.
Supporters of the resolution argue that such distortions shape political and economic perceptions of Africa and can minimize the continent’s size, resources, population and development potential. The African Union adopted the Equal Earth projection earlier this year, saying it provides a more accurate representation of the relative sizes of continents.
