UN Chooses Adoption of New Map Reflecting Africa's True Size
The UN General Assembly has voted to replace the traditional world map with one that more accurately reflects the size of the African continent. This map change is supported by African Union (AU) member states and was approved by 1arg 164 countries.
The ‘Map Correction’ resolution, proposed by Togo and supported by African Union member states, was passed with the support of 164 nations, including France and the United Kingdom. The United States was the only country to oppose the resolution, while six other nations chose to abstain.
While this UN vote is not legally binding, it will alter the maps used by various institutions worldwide.
The Mercator projection, which has been widely used since the 16th century, has faced criticism for depicting Africa as being comparable in size to Greenland, despite Africa actually being 14 times larger.
Critics argue that this distortion leads to the developmental needs and potential of countries near the equator being overlooked.
The Mercator map was designed in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator to assist European explorers in navigating the globe. The distortion in his map is a consequence of the impossibility of accurately representing the Earth’s spherical surface on a two-dimensional plane; whenever a world map is drawn, compromises must be made.
The Mercator projection represents the Earth’s curvature by making countries near the equator appear smaller than they are, while countries closer to the poles appear larger.
In an effort to correct this, a team of cartographers created an equal-area map in 2018 known as the ‘Equal Earth’ projection. In February, the 54 member states of the African Union adopted it, stating that the map ‘more accurately represents the size of all continents, especially Africa.’
The online campaign #CorrectTheMap stated: ‘You could fit the United States, China, India, Japan, Mexico, and most of Europe into Africa, and still have plenty of land left over.’
Ahead of Friday’s vote, Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dusser told Reuters: ‘A fair world begins with a fair map.’
In a presentation to the UN, he previously stated: ‘A map is never neutral. Maps shape perceptions and influence how societies and continents are understood in the world.’
He received support from the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, who stated that his ministry would cease using the Mercator map. ‘Changing the map certainly does not change the world. But correcting the representation that distorts it is an act of truth,’ he said.
However, Yaryna Ferencevych, a US representative to the UN, argued that the resolution mocks the work and objectives of the UN General Assembly. ‘Instead of focusing on real issues of international peace, prosperity, or good relations, this body is debating 16th-century map projects and their role in promoting reparations and “cognitive justice,”’ she said.
Last March, the US also criticised a resolution adopted that declared the transatlantic slave trade a ‘crime against humanity.’
‘The misrepresentation of Africa on the world map is not merely a cartographic error—it is a matter of narrative,’ Lerato Mogoatlhe from Africa No Filter, one of the groups behind the campaign to abandon the Mercator map, told the BBC. She stated that this is part of an effort to stop the ‘world’s longest-running misinformation and disinformation’ regarding Africa.
For Kenyan geographer Kioko Muendo, the Mercator map has implicitly understated the abundant resources, population, and investment opportunities within the African continent. ‘A map is more than just a guide for travellers—maps shape how regions are viewed politically and economically,’ he told the BBC.