{
  "id": 5626558,
  "title": "UN backs African-led push for world maps that show Africa’s size more accurately",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/un-backs-african-led-push-for-world-maps-that-show-africas-size-more",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-04T19:03:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "People Daily Kenya",
    "slug": "people-daily-kenya",
    "url": "https://peopledaily.digital/news/un-backs-african-led-push-for-world-maps-that-show-africas-size-more-accurately"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Friday to support an African-led effort to promote world maps that more accurately reflect the relative size of countries and continents. The resolution, approved by 164 votes to one, encourages the use of projections like the Equal Earth map, which better represents the area of continents compared to the commonly used Mercator projection. The US was the only country to vote against the measure. The resolution, while not legally binding, aims to encourage governments, schools, international organizations, and tech companies to consider using more accurate map projections. Togo's Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey, argues that fair maps can help shape perceptions of the importance and size of different regions. Togo plans to introduce the Equal Earth projection in schools before the end of the year and to advocate for wider international adoption of the approach. The African Union has also backed the campaign, which seeks to use equal-area projections in education and public communications. Supporters of the Equal Earth projection argue that it can provide a more proportionate visual representation of Africa and other equatorial regions, countering the misleading distortions created by the Mercator projection. However, critics note that the Mercator projection's distortions were not intended to misrepresent any region but were a feature of its original purpose for navigation. The UN resolution therefore seeks to promote greater use of proportional maps in areas such as education, media, and public information, without eliminating the Mercator projection from its original uses.",
  "summary": "The United Nations General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly backed an African-led initiative encouraging the use of world maps that more accurately represent the relative size of countries and continents, approving a resolution by 164 votes to one, with six abstentions. The resolution, led by Togo and backed by African states, promotes greater use of the […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 9,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "RFI English",
        "title": "France drops Mercator maps as Africa pushes for truer world view",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/france-drops-mercator-maps-as-africa-pushes-for-truer-world-view",
        "published": "2026-09-04T15:46:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC World",
        "title": "UN votes to adopt new world map to reflect Africa's true size",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/un-votes-to-adopt-new-world-map-to-reflect-africas-true-size",
        "published": "2026-09-04T17:26:40.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "UN approves resolution in support of map that shows Africa’s true size",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/un-approves-resolution-in-support-of-map-that-shows-africas-true-size",
        "published": "2026-09-04T17:54:51.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "US opposes UN adoption of map showing Africa’s true size",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/us-opposes-un-adoption-of-map-showing-africas-true-size",
        "published": "2026-09-04T17:55:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Premium Times",
        "title": "UN votes to adopt new world map that shows true size of Africa",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/un-votes-to-adopt-new-world-map-that-shows-true-size-of-africa",
        "published": "2026-09-04T18:11:15.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "UN ditches Mercator map to adopt more accurate one reflecting Africa's true size",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/un-ditches-mercator-map-to-adopt-more-accurate-one-reflecting-africas",
        "published": "2026-09-04T18:31:21.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "UN votes to adopt new world map that reflects Africa’s true size",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/un-votes-to-adopt-new-world-map-that-reflects-africas-true-size",
        "published": "2026-09-04T19:25:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "UN adopts proposal for new world map showing Africa’s true size",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/un-adopts-proposal-for-new-world-map-showing-africas-true-size",
        "published": "2026-09-04T20:42:33.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}