Africa bigger, US smaller - UN adopts new map

The United Nations has approved the adoption of a new world map, the Equal Earth cartographic projection, replacing the outdated Mercator projection. This change aims to create a more accurate representation of landmasses, correcting decades of distortions that inflated North America, Europe, and Greenland while shrinking Africa, Latin America, and Oceania.

The resolution, spearheaded by several African countries, received the support of 164 states, with only the United States voting against it and six other countries abstaining.

The new Equal Earth projection, launched in 2018 by a group of cartographers, aims to maintain the relative sizes of continents while preserving their true shapes. This is a significant improvement over the Mercator projection, which was originally designed for maritime navigation and resulted in inaccurate size representations of landmasses due to the challenge of translating a three-dimensional globe onto a two-dimensional map.

France, which co-sponsored the resolution, announced its intention to abandon the Mercator projection. The new map is expected to correct a distorted representation of the world, an act of truth in itself. This resolution comes at a time when France is seeking to improve its relations with African nations, particularly those with a history of strained ties.