{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "UN Backs New World Map That Finally Gives Africa Its True Size, Only US Votes Against",
  "summary": "The UN General Assembly has endorsed the Equal Earth projection, which shows Africa closer to its real size, with 164 countries voting in favour and only the United States opposing it.",
  "content": "For centuries, world maps have shown Africa far smaller than it actually is, and that picture is about to change. On Friday, the United Nations General Assembly threw its support behind a new map projection that renders the African continent much closer to its true size.\n\nAn Overwhelming Vote, One Lone Objector\nTogo brought the resolution to the General Assembly floor, and it drew firm backing from fellow African Union member states. When the vote was counted, 164 countries stood in favour, while the United States was the only country that opposed it. Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine stayed away from the vote altogether. The result itself shows just how effective the years-long push by African nations turned out to be.\n\nSwapping Out Mercator for Equal Earth\nThe UN has urged governments and institutions worldwide to move away from the centuries-old Mercator projection and toward the Equal Earth projection instead. The Mercator map has been in common use since the 16th century, but geography experts and the organisations behind this campaign have long argued that it fails to depict the true size of many parts of the planet. The newer projection places continents much closer to their actual proportions, and nowhere is that difference more visible than in the case of Africa and Greenland. If this shift filters down into the maps used in classrooms and the media, it could shape how entire generations understand geography.\n\nThe Full Math Behind Africa and Greenland\nOn the old Mercator map, Greenland and Africa appear almost the same size, even though Africa's actual area is roughly 14 times larger than Greenland's. The Equal Earth projection depicts Africa much closer to its real proportion, and supporters of the switch argue it will give people a far more accurate sense of how the different parts of the world truly compare in scale. That single statistic has been at the heart of African nations' complaint for decades.\n\nTogo's Minister: 'Maps Shape How We Think'\nJust before the vote, Togo's Foreign Minister Robert Dussey underlined why maps matter so much. He said, \n \"Maps shape our understanding of the world.\"\n He went on to add that maps also guide education, mould people's imagination, and influence how societies think collectively. That is precisely why Togo itself put the resolution before the General Assembly, and why so many African Union countries rallied behind it.\n\nFrance: 'A Small Step, But the Right Direction'\nMany countries welcomed the UN's stance after the vote and called for wider adoption of the Equal Earth projection. France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot posted on X after the vote, writing, \n \"Changing a map obviously doesn't change the world.\"\n He added, however, that correcting a depiction that misrepresents the world is in itself a step toward the truth.\n\nWhy the Mercator Map Was Always Controversial\nThe projection itself is the work of Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator, created with the goal of helping European sailors navigate the seas. The trouble is that flattening the earth's round surface onto a flat map inflates the size of regions near the poles. That is why regions like North America and Greenland appear blown up in scale on the map, while continents closer to the equator, such as Africa and South America, look comparatively shrunken.\n\nWill the Old Map Disappear Entirely?\nThe UN has also made clear that Friday's resolution does not ban the Mercator projection, nor does it order any country or institution to stop using it. Its sole purpose is to encourage governments and institutions to consider adopting the Equal Earth projection, meaning older maps can still be used wherever they are needed. Overall, the move is being seen as a major win for African nations and the campaign groups that have long fought to have Africa's true geographic scale reflected accurately on the world's maps.\n\nWhat this means for you\nThe vote could gradually reshape how the world looks in the maps used in classrooms, atlases and digital platforms.\n\n• For students and teachers: School textbooks and atlases may start showing Africa closer to its real size in the coming years. That would give students a far more accurate sense of how continents actually compare in scale.\n• For mapmakers and tech platforms: Companies producing digital maps and atlases could face growing pressure to switch to the Equal Earth projection. Since the UN has not made this mandatory, the shift is likely to be gradual and uneven across different publishers.\n• For governments and international bodies: UN documents and official publications are more likely to feature the Equal Earth projection going forward. Member states remain free to keep using the older Mercator map wherever their own requirements call for it.\n• For everyday readers: The next time you look at a world map online or in print, Africa and Greenland may appear more proportionate to their true sizes. Don't expect an overnight switch, since the change will roll out slowly rather than all at once.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. Who introduced this resolution at the UN?\nTogo introduced the resolution, and it was backed by African Union member states.\n\n2. How many countries voted for and against it?\n164 countries voted in favour of the resolution, while only the United States opposed it.\n\n3. Which countries did not take part in the vote?\nSerbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine did not take part in the vote.\n\n4. How is the new map different from the old Mercator map?\nThe Equal Earth projection shows continents closer to their real proportions, whereas the Mercator map made regions like Africa look smaller than they actually are.\n\n5. How much bigger is Africa than Greenland in reality?\nAfrica's actual area is about 14 times larger than Greenland's.\n\n6. Will the Mercator map be banned now?\nNo, the UN resolution does not ban the Mercator projection, it only encourages the adoption of the Equal Earth projection.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/america/un-men-votinga-se-badalegi-duniya-ke-nakshe-ki-tasvira-africa-ko-milega-usaka-asali-akara-28010",
  "category": "America",
  "publishedAt": "2026-09-05",
  "tags": [
    "United Nations",
    "Africa",
    "World Map",
    "Equal Earth Projection",
    "Mercator Projection",
    "Togo",
    "UN Resolution"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}