The United Nations General Assembly endorsed a new world map on September 5, 2026, that aims to represent Africa more accurately in its larger size. This resolution, sponsored by Togo and supported by members of the African Union, received 164 votes in favor. The United States was the only country to vote against it, while six others—Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Ukraine—abstained from the vote.
The resolution encourages governments and institutions globally to adopt the Equal Earth projection, which advocates and geographers argue provides a more accurate representation of land sizes compared to the traditional Mercator map, used since the 16th Century. The Mercator projection inaccurately depicts Greenland and Africa as being of similar size, while the Equal Earth projection shows Africa as 14 times larger than Greenland.
The UN clarified that the resolution does not ban the Mercator projection or mandate a replacement but encourages the use of the Equal Earth projection. Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey stated, "Maps shape our understanding of the world. They guide education, nourish the imagination, and influence collective perceptions."
Africa No Filter, a leading campaigner for the new map, expressed support for the resolution, emphasizing the need for accurate maps in educational and professional settings. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot remarked on X, "Changing the map obviously doesn’t change the world. But correcting a representation that distorts it is already an act of truth."
The Mercator map, created by cartographer Gerardus Mercator, was designed for navigation but is criticized for distorting landmasses, enlarging regions near the poles while shrinking Africa and South America. In contrast, the Equal Earth projection, developed in 2018, follows the Earth's curvature and presents continents in their true proportions. Geographers argue that the traditional map has limited utility outside of navigation, with Syracuse University geography professor Mark Monmonier stating, "Outside of that very narrow navigation application, there is no point in using it."