UN votes to adopt new world map ‘Equal Earth’

The UN General Assembly has endorsed the use of the “Equal Earth” map, a projection designed to represent the relative size of continents more accurately and counter distortions associated with the widely used Mercator map.

The resolution was adopted on Friday (September 4) by a vote of 164-1, with six countries abstaining.

The United States was the only country to vote against it.

The initiative was led by Togo on behalf of African countries, which argued that the Mercator projection has long exaggerated the size of landmasses near the poles while making Africa appear disproportionately smaller.

The Mercator projection, widely used since the 16th century, makes Greenland appear roughly comparable in size to Africa. In reality, Africa is about 14 times larger than Greenland.

African countries said such distortions have contributed to perceptions of the continent as relatively small and peripheral. Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey told Reuters ahead of the vote that “a fair map starts with a fair world.”

The Equal Earth projection is intended to provide a more proportionate visual representation of the world’s landmasses. However, the UN resolution is not legally binding.

Togo’s foreign ministry said the resolution would not prevent the continued use of the Mercator projection for navigation at sea and in the air, where it remains useful for plotting courses.

The United States opposed the resolution, describing the initiative as an “ideological agenda” that could divert attention from what it called more pressing issues such as international peace, prosperity and good relations.