UN General Assembly endorses new world map that shows more accurately Africa's size
The United Nations General Assembly on Friday endorsed a new world map that represents Africa more accurately in its larger size, a culmination of a recent campaign led by African countries and advocacy groups. Friday’s resolution, which was sponsored by Togo and backed by members of the African Union, was passed with 164 member states voting in favor. Only the U.S. voted against it while six…
On Friday, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed a new world map that presents Africa with a more accurate size relative to other continents. This resolution, spearheaded by Togo and supported by the African Union, garnered the support of 164 member states. The United States was the lone dissenting vote, while six other countries - Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Ukraine - abstained from the vote.
The endorsement signals a push for the global community to transition from the traditional Mercator projection, a map dating back to the 16th century, to the Equal Earth projection. Advocates argue that the Equal Earth projection offers a more accurate representation of the world's geography, as it correctly portrays Africa's vast size relative to other continents.
Specifically, Africa is depicted as being 14 times larger than Greenland in the Equal Earth projection, a stark contrast to the misleading proportions shown by the Mercator projection. Importantly, the resolution does not mandate the abandonment of the Mercator projection or prohibit its use; rather, it merely encourages the adoption of the Equal Earth projection.
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