The UN Votes to Replace Mercator Map in Bid to Reflect Africa's True Scale
The United Nations General Assembly has voted to replace the Mercator world map with the Equal Earth projection, which more accurately reflects the relative size of continents - particularly Africa. The "Correct the Map" resolution, sponsored by Togo and backed by African Union member states, passed with 164 votes in favour, six abstentions and a single vote against from the United States. Although non-binding, the resolution is expected to prompt changes to maps used by institutions around the world.
The Mercator projection, designed in 1569 to aid European navigation, distorts the size of countries near the equator, making Africa appear comparable in size to Greenland - despite being 14 times larger. Critics argue the misrepresentation has long undermined perceptions of Africa's resources, population and development potential. The Equal Earth projection, developed in 2018 by a team of cartographers and adopted by the African Union's 54 member states earlier this year, addresses this imbalance. France has already announced it will stop using the Mercator map, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stating that "correcting a representation that distorts the world is already an act of truth." For Africa's tourism and investment sectors, the shift carries tangible significance - as Kenyan geographer Kioko Muendo noted, maps shape how regions are perceived politically and economically.
Virginia Messina, Group CEO of the African Travel and Tourism Association – ATTA®, said:
“ATTA® would like to extend its warm congratulations to Moky Makura and the team at Africa No Filter, together with the Government of Togo, the African Union, all those who championed the #CorrectTheMap campaign and those who voted on the landmark UN resolution for the world to formally phase out the traditional 'Mercator' map of the globe, in favour of one that more accurately displays Africa’s size.
“Maps do more than represent geography; they shape how people understand the world. For centuries, the widely used Mercator projection diminished Africa's true scale, reinforcing a perception of the continent as smaller and more peripheral than it is.
“This resolution represents an important step towards a more accurate and equitable portrayal of Africa.
“Showing the continent at its true scale reflects not only its physical size, but also its extraordinary diversity, influence and importance to the world.”
Source: BBC News
