164 Nations Back UN Resolution for Equal Earth Maps to Fix Africa's Distorted Size

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution urging countries and international organisations to shift away from the centuries-old Mercator world map and towards area-accurate alternatives, particularly the Equal Earth projection. The vote, proposed by Togo and backed by 164 countries, is non-binding but carries significant political symbolism.

The Problem with Mercator Maps

The Mercator projection, developed by Flemish cartographer Gerhard Mercator (born 1512), was designed for navigation: it preserves compass bearings and shapes accurately but massively distorts the relative sizes of land masses. Countries and continents further from the equator appear far larger than they actually are.

The most cited example: on a standard Mercator map, Greenland appears roughly the same size as Africa. In reality, Africa is approximately 14 times the area of Greenland. This systematic distortion has shaped perceptions for centuries, with Africa consistently appearing smaller and Europe larger than their actual sizes.

Political Dimension

"Maps shape our understanding of the world — they are never neutral," Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey said during the General Assembly debate. After the resolution passed, he wrote on social media: "This is about justice, dignity, equality and how we represent our world."

The United States opposed the resolution, describing it as an "ideological" project that distracts from real international problems. The resolution recommends using Equal Earth maps for contexts where accuracy of area is more important than directional accuracy — such as in education and policy. Navigation maps using Mercator projections remain appropriate for their original purpose.