{
  "id": 5821772,
  "title": "Why Africa’s new map is really a fight over power, perception and place",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/why-africas-new-map-is-really-a-fight-over-power-perception-and-place",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-05T19:20:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "People Daily Kenya",
    "slug": "people-daily-kenya",
    "url": "https://peopledaily.digital/news/why-africas-new-map-is-really-a-fight-over-power-perception-and-place"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a significant move, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution encouraging the adoption of more accurate world maps. The 2018 Equal Earth projection was highlighted as a more precise alternative to the commonly used Mercator projection. While 164 countries supported the resolution, six abstained and only the United States voted against it.\n\nThe resolution's significance lies in challenging the perceptions and understanding of the world that have been shaped by the Mercator projection for centuries. Developed for navigation, the Mercator projection enlarges land masses as they move towards the poles, leading to distortions such as making Greenland appear comparable in size to Africa, when in reality Africa is roughly 14 times larger.\n\nHowever, the impact of the resolution extends beyond cartographic mathematics. Maps in educational institutions, newspapers, government offices, websites, and digital platforms can influence how people instinctively perceive the relative scale and importance of different parts of the world. African Foreign Minister Robert Dussey emphasized that a fair world begins with a fair map, stating that Africa's changing reality should be reflected in more accurate representations.\n\nDussey's statement highlights the broader political message behind the campaign. It is not merely about correcting a visual distortion but about challenging inherited assumptions about Africa's place in the international system. The campaign seeks to provide a fairer perspective that could foster greater understanding, respect, and peace among nations.\n\nThe United States' opposition to the resolution adds a political dimension to the issue. The US described the initiative as promoting an \"ideological agenda\" and argued that it distracts from genuine concerns related to international peace, prosperity, and state-to-state relations. This disagreement underscores the competing interpretations of the role of the UN—whether its focus should be on substantive global problems or symbolic questions of cartographic representation.\n\nWhile the resolution does not have the power to redistribute wealth or rewrite trade rules, its broader message emphasizes the importance of accurate representation in international politics. African governments, civil-society groups, and technology companies are urged to adopt the more precise map in various domains, from educational materials to digital platforms. This grassroots effort could influence how millions of people visualize and understand the world, ultimately contributing to increased visibility and recognition for Africa's contributions to the global community.",
  "summary": "The United Nations has not literally redrawn the world, but it has endorsed an African-led effort to change how the world is represented. On Friday, September 2, 2026, the General Assembly backed a resolution encouraging the use of more geographically accurate world maps, including the 2018 Equal Earth projection, rather than relying so heavily on […]",
  "key_points": [
    "United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to support new map resolution",
    "164 countries supported resolution, six abstained, US voted against",
    "Resolution aims to challenge perceptions and correct distortions of world maps"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "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."
}