The United Nations General Assembly is set to consider a resolution calling for greater use of world maps that more accurately represent the size of Africa and other regions near the Equator.
The resolution, sponsored by Togo and backed by other African Union member states, promotes the Equal Earth projection as an alternative to the widely used Mercator projection, which significantly distorts the size of landmasses as they move farther from the Equator.
Supporters of the campaign argue that the way the world is visually represented can influence how people understand the relative size and importance of different regions.
The Mercator projection, developed by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, was designed primarily for maritime navigation. Its major advantage is that straight lines on the map represent constant compass directions, making it useful to sailors.
However, the projection does not preserve the actual size of countries and continents. Areas close to the poles appear much larger than they are in reality, while regions around the Equator are comparatively reduced.
For instance, Greenland can appear comparable in size to Africa on a Mercator map, despite Africa being roughly 14 times larger. Alaska can also appear larger than Mexico, although Mexico is actually larger.
Critics say the distortion has contributed to a longstanding visual bias in which Europe, North America and other northern regions appear disproportionately large, while Africa and other equatorial regions appear smaller.
They argue that this can reinforce outdated Eurocentric and colonial perceptions of the world, particularly when such maps are used in classrooms from an early age.
The Equal Earth projection, developed in 2018 by cartographers Bojan Šavrič, Bernhard Jenny and Tom Patterson, was designed to preserve the relative sizes of landmasses. Unlike the Mercator projection, it does not maintain straight-line directions, making it less suitable for navigation but more accurate for comparing the size of continents and countries.
The African Union endorsed the campaign in August 2025 and encouraged its 55 member states to consider adopting the Equal Earth projection in schools and public communications.
Togo has since taken the campaign to the United Nations, with Foreign Minister Robert Dussey arguing that maps influence how people understand the world.
“A map is never neutral,” Mr Dussey said, adding that maps can shape perceptions of the place of different peoples and continents in the world.
If adopted, the UN resolution would not ban the Mercator projection or legally require countries to replace it. Instead, it would encourage member states to update educational materials and teach students about the actual sizes of countries and the limitations associated with different map projections.
The resolution also calls on major digital mapping companies to engage with governments on the issue and consider more accurate ways of representing the world.
Some changes have already taken place in the digital mapping space. Google, for instance, moved away from displaying a flat Mercator-based world map when users zoom out on its desktop platform and instead displays the Earth as a globe.
The debate also follows earlier efforts by educational institutions to introduce alternative projections. Boston Public Schools began purchasing maps based on the Peters projection in 2017 as part of efforts to provide students with a more proportionally accurate representation of the world’s landmasses.
The UN debate therefore goes beyond cartography, with supporters arguing that the maps used in classrooms, public institutions, and digital platforms can influence how generations perceive geography, countries, and continents.
Source: The New York Times
