UN votes to adopt new world map that shows true sizes of countries

The United Nations General Assembly has approved a new world map that accurately represents the sizes of countries, following urgent calls from African nations to correct a longstanding injustice. The "Correct the Map" resolution, initiated by African Union member states and the Bahamas, was approved by a wide margin of 164 votes in favor, with only the United States opposing the measure.

This resolution seeks to provide a more equitable representation of the globe, particularly focusing on Africa, which has been systematically minimized in people's perceptions due to distortions in the current world map.

The Mercator projection, a widely used map projection developed by Gerardus Mercator in 1569, has been criticized for its inaccuracies. While it is beneficial for navigation due to its constant true bearings, it distorts the scale of countries, especially those far from the equator. For instance, Greenland appears larger than South America and Africa, despite being only about half the size of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Critics argue that this projection has been maintained due to its tendency to enlarge and center Europe, as well as other Western regions, thereby reinforcing European superiority.

The UN resolution acknowledges the harmful impact of these distortions, which not only misrepresent the sizes of Africa, Latin America, and South Asia but also downplay their socioeconomic realities, infrastructure needs, and development potential. By promoting the Equal Earth projection, the resolution aims to address these issues through "cognitive justice and memorial reparation."

This new projection accurately depicts the relative surface areas of the world's regions, shrinking Europe, enlarging Brazil, and significantly reducing the size of Greenland. As a result, Africa will appear much larger in comparison to its current distorted representation.

France has pledged to abandon the Mercator projection in favor of the Equal Earth projection, viewing this change as an act of justice and reparation. Similarly, the United States, Russia, and China are expected to take on a more visually prominent position in the new map, reflecting their true sizes compared to Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.

The resolution's adoption follows the African Union's adoption of the Equal Earth Map in March and comes after several member states, including Togo, requested the UN to take similar action in April.

This move comes as part of a broader effort to rectify historical inequalities and promote a more balanced view of the world. Commissioner Amma Twum-Amoah of the African Union emphasized that Africa, once diminished on maps, now demands recognition in all aspects of global perception, including geographically, historically, morally, culturally, economically, diplomatically, and globally.

The new map, which can be centered on various regions including Oceania, offers a more inclusive representation that aligns with the diverse realities of the world's population. Additionally, digital mapping platforms like Google Maps currently use a version of the Mercator projection, and the draft resolution calls on these platforms to collaborate with UN member states and regional organizations to adopt the more accurate Equal Earth projection.