UN General Assembly endorses a new world map that shows more accurately Africa’s size

On Friday, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed a new world map that more accurately represents Africa's size, a result of a recent campaign spearheaded by African nations and advocacy groups. The resolution, sponsored by Togo and supported by the African Union, garnered 164 votes in favor, with only the United States voting against it and six other countries abstaining.

The new map utilizes the Equal Earth projection, which offers a more accurate depiction of locations compared to the traditional Mercator projection, which has been in use since the 16th century. The Mercator projection misrepresents Africa and Greenland, making them appear roughly the same size when, in reality, Africa is 14 times larger than Greenland.

While the resolution does not mandate the abandonment of the Mercator projection, it does encourage its replacement with the Equal Earth projection. The UN report cited Togo's Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey, who emphasized that maps play a crucial role in shaping our understanding of the world, influencing education, imagination, and collective perceptions.

Organizations like Africa No Filter, a prominent advocate for the adoption of the new map, welcomed the resolution. They expressed their desire to see the accurate representation of Africa in schools, textbooks, newsrooms, businesses, and digital platforms.

Several countries, including France, hailed the adoption of the new map, acknowledging the importance of correcting a distorted representation. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot emphasized that altering the map does not change the world but acknowledging and correcting the misrepresentation is a step towards truth.