UN backs new world map that more accurately shows Africa’s true size and scale, 164 countries vote in favour
The UN General Assembly has backed an African Union-led push for more accurate world maps, with 164 countries voting in favour of the ‘Correct the Map’ resolution. The campaign challenges distortions associated with the widely used Mercator projection.
The United Nations General Assembly has endorsed a resolution backed by the African Union to address inaccurate representations of continents on maps, particularly Africa's size. The "Correct the Map" initiative, championed by Togo, received overwhelming support from 164 countries during the UN vote. The resolution aims to tackle the issue of map projections, which have historically misrepresented the relative sizes of landmasses.
The Mercator projection, developed in the 16th century, preserves directions but distorts sizes, making regions near the poles appear larger than they are. Africa, for instance, is often depicted as being only as big as Greenland when, in reality, it is 14 times larger. The African Union lauded Togo's leadership and the consensus among African nations in endorsing the resolution.
It calls for the adoption of equal-area projections in educational institutions, media, and international platforms to provide a more accurate portrayal of global geography. While the Mercator projection will continue to be used due to its historical significance and navigational utility, the AU seeks to promote the use of more accurate equal-area maps in public representation.
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