UN Endorses New World Map: Africa's True Size Revealed

The United Nations General Assembly recently passed a resolution endorsing a new world map that more accurately represents the size of Africa. This significant decision, supported by 164 member states, encourages global adoption of the Equal Earth projection, moving away from the widely used Mercator map, which has been standard since the 16th century. The campaign for this change was led by African countries and advocacy groups, aiming to correct historical cartographic distortions.

The Equal Earth projection, developed in 2018, shows continents in their true proportions. In stark contrast to the Mercator map, where Africa and Greenland appear similar in size, the Equal Earth projection illustrates that Africa is approximately 14 times larger than Greenland. While the Mercator map was designed for maritime navigation, its distortions of landmasses, particularly enlarging regions near the poles and shrinking equatorial continents, have long been a point of criticism.

This UN resolution does not ban the Mercator projection but strongly encourages the use of the more geographically accurate Equal Earth map in educational materials, businesses, and digital platforms. Advocates emphasize that correcting such visual representations is an act of truth that can influence collective perceptions and understanding of global geography.