UN Backs ‘Correct the Map’ Resolution as US Votes Against It

On September 4, the United Nations General Assembly voted 164-1 to approve a nonbinding resolution urging the use of world maps that more accurately represent the relative size of continents. The United States was the sole country to vote against the resolution. Togo presented the resolution on behalf of the African group after an international campaign advocating for greater use of equal-area projections.

Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine abstained from voting. The resolution encourages governments and international organizations to consider alternative projections like Equal Earth when the relative size of landmasses is important, but it does not require countries to abandon the Mercator projection. The Mercator projection, developed in the 16th century, preserves angles and directions, making it useful for navigation but distorting the relative sizes of landmasses, especially near the poles.

For example, on a Mercator map, Greenland may appear as large as Africa, when in reality Africa is about 14 times larger. The International Cartographic Association's 2026 guidance recommends equal-area projections like Equal Earth for maps where geographic area is the main subject. The campaign behind the resolution has gained support from various governments, including those in Africa, the Caribbean Community, and Latin America, who argue that the use of Mercator projection perpetuates historical biases and affects how people learn about the world.