UN Approves New World Map Showing Africa’s True Size
UN General Assembly adopts “Correct the Map” resolution encouraging Equal Earth projection over Mercator, accurately depicting Africa as 14 times larger than Greenland. Passed 164-1 with US opposing.
Kwedu News 
By Own Correspondent
New York — The United Nations(UN) General Assembly on Friday, 4 September 2026, overwhelmingly adopted a resolution encouraging the use of a more accurate world map that properly reflects the true relative size of continents, particularly Africa, in a landmark move led by African nations.
The non-binding resolution, titled “Correct the Map” and sponsored by Togo on behalf of the African Group with the full backing of the African Union, was approved by 164 votes in favour.
The United States cast the sole vote against the measure, while six countries, Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine, abstained.
The resolution encourages governments, educational institutions, international organisations and technology companies worldwide to adopt the Equal Earth projection, developed by cartographers in 2018, or other equal-area maps when relative size is important.
It does not ban the traditional Mercator projection, which remains suitable for maritime and aerial navigation, but seeks to phase out its widespread use in education, media and public communication where it distorts continental proportions.
The Mercator projection (old map), created by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569 primarily for navigation, has long been criticised for enlarging landmasses near the poles while shrinking those near the equator.
Analysts observed that on many Mercator maps, Greenland appears roughly the same size as Africa, whereas in reality Africa is approximately 14 times larger.
Campaigners note that the United States, China, India, Japan, Mexico and much of Europe could fit within Africa’s actual land area with space remaining.
Togo’s Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey, described the vote as a historic moment.
“Maps shape our understanding of the world. They guide education, nourish the imagination and influence collective perceptions,” he said.
He further stated that the discussion was scientific rather than political, stating that a fair world begins with a fair map and calling for acceptance of proven geographic reality.
The African Union had earlier this year endorsed the Equal Earth projection, which preserves the relative area of landmasses more accurately while maintaining a visually familiar appearance.
Advocacy groups, including Africa No Filter and the #CorrectTheMap campaign, hailed the UN decision, expressing hope that accurate maps would soon appear in schools, textbooks, newsrooms, businesses and digital platforms used by billions.
France, which co-sponsored the resolution, announced that it would abandon the Mercator projection in favour of representations that more accurately depict surface areas.
The United States, in explaining its opposition, described the initiative as part of a broader ideological project and argued that the UN should focus on genuine problems of international peace, prosperity and good relations.
UN officials clarified that the resolution does not impose mandatory replacement or prohibit existing maps. Instead, it promotes greater accuracy and equity in how the world is visually represented, addressing what African leaders have long described as a form of cartographic distortion with lasting cognitive, educational and perceptual effects.
