The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly endorsed a new approach to representing the world on maps, in a move aimed at correcting long-standing distortions that have made Africa and other regions near the equator appear significantly smaller than their actual size.
The resolution, titled “Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable Representation of the World’s Regions, Particularly Africa,” was introduced by Togo on behalf of the African Group and backed by the African Union. It was adopted on September 4, 2026, with 164 countries voting in favour, one against and six abstaining. The United States was the only country to vote against the resolution, while Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine abstained.
The initiative seeks to encourage the wider use of equal-area projections, particularly the Equal Earth projection, instead of relying heavily on the centuries-old Mercator projection when the relative size of continents is important. The Equal Earth map was developed in 2018 to provide a more accurate representation of the actual area occupied by the world’s continents. The African Union had already adopted the projection earlier this year.
The debate centres largely on the Mercator projection, created in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator. The map was originally designed primarily for navigation because it allows sailors to plot courses using straight lines. However, its method of representing the curved surface of the Earth on a flat map causes areas farther from the equator to appear disproportionately large.
As a result, countries and territories in Europe, North America and other northern regions can appear much larger than they really are, while Africa and other equatorial regions appear comparatively smaller. Africa, for example, is about 14 times larger than Greenland, despite the two appearing relatively similar in size on the Mercator map.
Supporters of the “Correct the Map” campaign argue that the issue goes beyond cartography. They say repeated exposure to distorted maps can influence how people perceive the importance, size and potential of different regions of the world. The campaign has therefore framed the change as an effort to promote greater geographical accuracy and address what it describes as the symbolic underrepresentation of Africa.
Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey, who led the initiative, argued that maps influence how people understand the world. He has maintained that correcting the way continents are visually represented can contribute to a fairer perception of different regions.
The proposal has also received support from France. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot indicated that France would move away from the Mercator projection, describing the correction of a distorted representation of the world as an important step toward greater accuracy.
However, the United States opposed the resolution, arguing that the General Assembly should concentrate on more pressing international challenges. Its representative criticised the initiative and questioned the emphasis placed on concepts such as “cognitive justice” and reparations.
Despite the overwhelming vote, the UN decision does not legally ban the Mercator map or force countries to adopt a single replacement. Instead, it encourages governments, schools, international organisations and technology companies to use maps that represent continental areas more accurately, particularly where comparisons of land size are important. The resolution also makes clear that the change does not affect national borders, territorial claims or the political status of any territory.
The decision therefore represents less a complete replacement of every world map and more a major push toward more accurate and balanced cartographic representation. For Africa, the move is being viewed as a symbolic victory in efforts to ensure that the continent’s enormous geographical size is accurately reflected in classrooms, institutions, digital platforms and public understanding of the world.
Story By:Edem
