The UN General Assembly has voted to move away from the cartographic projection that has shaped perceptions of continental size for nearly five centuries. The familiar Mercator map will be replaced by the Equal Earth projection, in which Africa no longer appears comparable in size to Greenland. A total of 164 countries backed the resolution, with only the United States voting against it.
The campaign to replace the map was led by Togo, acting on behalf of the African Union. The initiative, known as #CorrectTheMap, has attracted tens of thousands of supporters. The argument is straightforward: the Mercator projection, created in 1569 for maritime navigation, stretches polar regions while compressing areas near the equator. As a result, Africa appears roughly comparable to Greenland, even though it is actually 14 times larger.
In New York, Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey emphasized that the debate is scientific rather than political. Cartographic data, he said, leave little room for disagreement.
France had already announced a shift to the Eckert IV projection, which is similar to the recommended Equal Earth model. The announcement was made at the Sorbonne and was interpreted as a symbolic gesture toward France’s former colonies.
Historians and activists have long criticized the Mercator map, describing it as a tool of “cartographic colonialism.” The projection visually minimized the Global South while exaggerating the apparent size of northern countries, which researchers argue influenced perceptions of the global balance of power.
The resolution is not legally binding: no one is prohibited from continuing to use the old map. However, school curricula, digital platforms, and government standards are expected to follow. Togo has already announced a meeting with UNESCO, the African Union, and technology companies early next year to determine practical steps.
Changing the map is more than a technical correction. It is a reconstruction of the visual image of the world, in which the Global South is no longer portrayed as secondary. The UN vote has now given that shift an official international platform.
Source: The Guardian
Image: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France
