The United Nations General Assembly has endorsed a resolution promoting map projections that more accurately represent the relative size of continents, marking a major step in an Africa-led campaign to challenge the dominance of the 16th-century Mercator projection.
The resolution was adopted by 164 votes to one, with the United States casting the only vote against. Six countries — Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine — abstained.
The measure does not ban the Mercator projection or mandate a replacement. Instead, it encourages governments, schools, international organisations and technology companies to consider the Equal Earth projection and other equal-area maps when showing the relative size of landmasses.
Togo led negotiations on behalf of the African Group, building on an initiative backed by the African Union.
How the Mercator Projection Distorts Africa’s Size
Created by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, the Mercator projection was designed primarily for maritime navigation. Its strength is that straight lines represent constant compass directions, making it useful for sailors plotting routes.
However, the projection significantly distorts the size of landmasses, particularly those farther from the Equator. Africa, for example, is about 14 times larger than Greenland, yet the two can appear roughly comparable on a conventional Mercator map.
Northern Europe and North America are similarly enlarged relative to countries and continents closer to the Equator.
Despite being developed for navigation, the Mercator projection remains widely used in educational materials, media, digital platforms, and official maps. Supporters of the new resolution argue that its widespread use has contributed to what the resolution describes as the “symbolic minimization” of Africa, reinforcing an inaccurate perception of the continent’s physical scale.
Togo’s Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey, said maps influence how people understand the world, noting that they shape education, imagination and collective perceptions.
“A fair map does not change the geography of the world; it changes how we see the world,” he said.
US Opposition Highlights Political Debate
According to United Nations News, the United States opposed the resolution, describing it as part of what its representative called a “radical ideological project.” Washington also criticised references in the resolution to “cognitive justice and memorial reparation,” arguing that such language contributes to the politicisation of the United Nations.
France, however, moved in the opposite direction. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced that France plans to abandon the Mercator projection for its world maps, aligning with the broader campaign supported by the African Union.
The debate also exposed concerns beyond the issue of geographical accuracy. Ukraine supported efforts to address historical distortions affecting Africa and the Global South but raised objections over how some Equal Earth maps depict Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia.
The European Union supported the resolution while stressing that the choice of map projection has no bearing on sovereignty, territorial status or internationally recognised borders.
The resolution is non-binding and does not require countries or organisations to stop using Mercator. It also recognises that no flat map can perfectly represent the Earth’s curved surface without distorting area, shape, distance or direction.
Still, the vote represents a significant diplomatic victory for African countries seeking to challenge how the continent is represented on maps and, more broadly, how visual representations can influence perceptions of Africa’s place and scale in the world.
