The United Nations General Assembly on Monday approved a resolution endorsing the Equal Earth projection, a modern world map that portrays countries and continents at their true relative sizes. The motion, introduced by Togo, received the backing of 164 member states, while the United States was the only nation to vote against it.
Resolution and voting record
According to the BBC, the Togo‑sponsored resolution was passed with an overwhelming majority, leaving the United States as the sole dissenting vote. The New York Times reported that the Equal Earth projection was chosen to replace the centuries‑old Mercator map, which critics argue distorts the size of regions outside the temperate zones. The vote reflects a growing consensus among UN members that the prevailing cartographic standard misrepresents the global south, particularly Africa.
Why the map matters
Cartographers and scholars have long highlighted the Mercator projection’s tendency to exaggerate the size of Europe and North America while shrinking Africa, South America and parts of Asia. Al Jazeera noted that the Mercator map “visually exaggerates and centralises Western nations,” a bias that the Equal Earth map seeks to correct. The new projection retains the familiar rectangular layout of traditional world maps but adjusts the scaling so that landmasses appear in proportion to their actual area, offering a more equitable visual representation.
The United Nations itself framed the decision as a symbolic step toward “stop[ping] making Africa look small,” echoing a statement posted on its official website.
"Stop making Africa look small," the UN declared, urging educators, publishers and governments to adopt more accurate cartographic tools.
Business Insider Africa highlighted that the United States’ opposition was notable, given its historical influence on UN resolutions. While the US vote was recorded as a “no,” the resolution still passed comfortably, underscoring the broad international support for revising the global visual narrative.
Other outlets, including Reuters and CNN, emphasized the practical implications of the change. Schools, atlases, and digital platforms that rely on the Mercator projection may gradually transition to the Equal Earth model, offering learners a more realistic sense of geography. The shift could also influence diplomatic and economic discourse, where visual perception of size often underpins policy attitudes.
Next steps and broader impact
UN News indicated that the General Assembly’s endorsement is a call to action for member states to incorporate the Equal Earth projection into official documents, educational curricula, and public displays. While the resolution does not mandate an immediate replacement of existing maps, it establishes a normative benchmark for future cartographic standards.
Experts cited by Sky News argue that the adoption of the Equal Earth map could reshape how the world perceives global power dynamics, by giving a more accurate visual representation of regions that have historically been underrepresented. The move also aligns with broader UN initiatives aimed at decolonizing knowledge and promoting equitable representations of all peoples.
In the months ahead, the UN will likely convene technical committees to develop guidelines for the phased integration of the new projection. As the world’s most influential intergovernmental body, the UN’s endorsement may accelerate the transition among publishers, educators and digital mapping services, gradually phasing out the outdated Mercator view that has dominated for nearly five centuries.
