UN General Assembly adopts Equal Earth projection, supported by 164 nations.

The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Friday to adopt the Equal Earth projection as an alternative to the long-dominant Mercator map. The resolution, which passed with 164 votes in favor and only one against, aims to correct the significant distortions that have misrepresented the sizes of continents, particularly Africa, for over four centuries.

The move comes as part of a broader effort led by Togo on behalf of the African Group, which includes 54 member states of the African Union. This initiative highlights the ongoing impact of historical mapping practices, which inflated the sizes of Europe and North America while downplaying the true scale of Africa and other equatorial regions. The United States was the only nation to oppose the resolution, with its representative arguing that the focus on map projections detracts from more pressing global issues.

The Equal Earth projection, which preserves true area, offers a more accurate representation of continents compared to the Mercator map, known for its distortion of size. For example, Africa is shown to be about 14 times larger than Greenland, a fact often obscured in traditional classroom maps. The resolution is nonbinding, meaning it does not require the replacement of existing maps but encourages educational institutions and tech companies to adopt the new projection.

Looking ahead, Togo's Foreign Minister Robert Dussey announced plans for a meeting in Lome early next year. This event will involve UNESCO, the African Union, and technology companies such as Google to discuss the practical implementation of the Equal Earth projection. As maps play a crucial role in shaping perceptions and understanding of our world, this resolution represents a significant step toward acknowledging and correcting historical inaccuracies in cartography.