UN Votes to Adopt New World Map, Equal Earth Projection Explained

The United Nations has voted to support a new world map that aims to show the actual size of continents more accurately, especially Africa. This move focuses on the limitations of the traditional Mercator projection, which makes areas near the poles look much larger while making regions near the Equator appear relatively smaller. The new approach promotes map projections such as Equal Earth, which provide a more balanced representation of the world’s land areas. 

UN Votes to Adopt New World Map

• The United Nations General Assembly has voted in favour of a new world map that presents the size of continents more accurately, especially the African region. 
• The resolution, known as “Correct the Map,” was sponsored by Togo and supported by members of the African Union (AU). It received 164 votes in favour, while the United States was the only country to vote against it and six countries abstained.
• This UN resolution is non-binding, which means countries are not legally required to stop using the traditional map. 
• However, it is expected to encourage schools, institutions, governments and digital platforms to adopt more accurate map projections.

Why Did the UN Propose a New World Map?

• The major reason behind this proposal, is the distortion created by the Mercator map, which has been widely used since the 16th century. 
• While the map is useful for navigation, it does not show the actual size of land areas accurately.
• The Mercator projection, created by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, makes regions closer to the poles appear much larger than they actually are. 
• As a result, Africa appears much smaller in comparison with countries and regions in the northern hemisphere.
• A well-known example to quote is Greenland, which appears almost similar in size to Africa on the Mercator map. Whereas in reality, Africa is around 14 times larger than Greenland.
• Supporters of the “Correct the Map” campaign argue that this visual distortion has influenced how people understand Africa’s size, resources, population and economic potential. They believe that maps can shape perceptions of the importance of different regions.
• African countries have also linked the issue to the legacy of colonialism. They argue that changing the map can help address long-standing geographical and educational perceptions and present Africa more fairly.

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Key Changes in the New World Map

• The UN-backed resolution promotes the use of the Equal Earth projection, which was developed in 2018 by an international team of cartographers. It is designed to show the relative size of continents more accurately.
• In February, the African Union’s 54 member states adopted the Equal Earth projection and stated that it provides a better representation of the actual size of continents, particularly Africa.
• Unlike the Mercator projection, the Equal Earth map does not greatly enlarge areas near the poles. This makes the relative size of Africa and other equatorial regions easier to understand.
• The change does not mean that the Mercator projection will immediately disappear. The UN resolution is not legally enforceable and the Mercator map can continue to be used where it is suitable, particularly for maritime and aerial navigation.
• Different map projections have different purposes because it is impossible to represent the curved surface of the Earth perfectly on a flat map. 
• Therefore, the new approach focuses on using more suitable projections for education, public information and other purposes.

Significance of the UN’s New World Map

• The decision could lead to changes in school textbooks, educational materials, government documents, media and digital mapping platforms. Togo has also indicated plans to encourage wider adoption of the Equal Earth projection.
• The move is seen by supporters as an effort to provide a more accurate geographical representation of the world and correct the long-standing visual underrepresentation of Africa.
• The campaign also highlights the idea that maps are not simply geographical tools. They can influence how people perceive the importance, size and position of different countries and continents.
• France supported the resolution and announced that it would move away from the Mercator projection in favour of map representations that are more suitable for particular purposes and closer to actual surface areas. France plans to use the Eckert IV projection, which is similar to the Equal Earth approach in its focus on accurate area representation.
• The United States opposed the resolution, arguing that the General Assembly should focus on major international issues rather than what it considered a map-related project.
• For African countries and campaign groups, the decision represents more than a change in cartography. It is also part of a wider effort to challenge outdated perceptions of Africa and ensure that the continent’s geographical, economic and geopolitical importance is represented more accurately.