세계지도, 실제 크기대로 그리자는데 미국만 반대…왜?

The United Nations has shown support for a new world map that accurately represents the size of different regions, with the African continent being a primary focus. The UN General Assembly approved a resolution on May 5, supported by 164 member nations, including African Union member states. The United States, along with Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Ukraine, were the only nations to vote against the resolution.

The resolution recommends replacing the traditional Mercator projection, which has been widely used since the 16th century, with an "equal area projection" that more accurately depicts each area's size and location. The equal area projection, developed in 2018, displays the area ratios of different regions precisely while minimizing form distortions.

African nations have long advocated for the adoption of this new map. The UN clarified that the resolution is not intended to ban or replace the Mercator projection, but merely to recommend the use of the equal area projection. The United States' sole opposition argued that the resolution is part of an ideological conflict and not a genuine attempt to address significant issues such as international peace and global relationships.

The Mercator projection was originally designed for navigation in the 16th century, and it became the most widely accepted world map due to its ability to accurately represent angles and directions. However, it distorts the sizes of regions, making areas near the equator appear larger than they actually are, while regions near the poles are compressed.

For instance, Greenland appears nearly as large as Africa on the Mercator projection, despite Africa being 14 times larger. Mark Monroe, a geography professor at Syracuse University, said that the Mercator projection map is "useless" for anything other than navigation. French Foreign Minister Jean-Baptiste Racine posted on social media that changing the map does not change the planet, but changing the way we represent the planet is a step towards truth.

Roberto de Souza, Brazil's foreign minister, said that maps shape our understanding of the world, influencing education, imagination, and collective perception. The 'Africa No Filter' organization, which led the push for the new map, welcomed the resolution, stating that they want accurate maps in schools, textbooks, newsrooms, businesses, and the billions of people who use digital platforms every day.