UN General Assembly Votes to Adopt New World Map Reflecting Africa's Size

The UN General Assembly has voted to adopt a new world map that more accurately reflects the size of Africa. The resolution, known as "Correct the Map," was sponsored by Togo and supported by 164 nations, including France and the UK. The United States was the only country to vote against it, with six abstentions. Although the vote is non-binding, it will prompt changes to maps used by various institutions globally. The traditional Mercator projection, which has been in use since the 16th century, inaccurately represents Africa as being similar in size to Greenland, despite Africa being 14 times larger. Critics argue that this misrepresentation minimizes the development needs and potential of countries near the equator. The Mercator map was designed by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569 to assist European explorers. Its distortion arises from the challenge of accurately depicting a globe on a two-dimensional surface. A team of cartographers created the Equal Earth projection in 2018 to address these inaccuracies, and the African Union adopted it in February, stating it better represents the sizes of all continents, especially Africa. Online campaign group #CorrectTheMap noted that Africa could fit the United States, China, India, Japan, Mexico, and much of Europe with land to spare. Ahead of the vote, Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey emphasized the importance of accurate maps in shaping perceptions. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot expressed support for discontinuing the use of the Mercator map, stating that correcting distortions is an act of truth. However, US representative Yaryna Ferencevych criticized the resolution, suggesting it distracts from more pressing global issues. Lerato Mogoatlhe from Africa No Filter highlighted that Africa's misrepresentation on maps is a narrative issue that contributes to misinformation about the continent. Kenyan geographer Kioko Muendo noted that maps influence political and economic perceptions of regions.