Can you guess the real size of each country on the new world map?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that the United Nations General Assembly has voted 164 to 1 to promote the Equal Earth projection as a more accurate alternative to the Mercator map, which has long been the default in classrooms, atlases and many digital products. The decision was led by Togo on behalf of the African Group and backed by the African Union, with the aim of reducing the way Mercator overstates land near the poles and understates regions closer to the equator.

The article explains that Mercator, created in the 16th century for navigation, can make Greenland look comparable in size to Africa even though Africa is far larger. In contrast, Equal Earth is designed to show continents in their true relative area, though it slightly changes their outlines. Al Jazeera notes that no flat map can represent the globe perfectly, since any projection must distort shape, area, distance or direction in some way.

According to the report, the resolution is nonbinding and does not ban Mercator maps. The UN says it is meant to encourage broader use of Equal Earth rather than impose a replacement. The United States voted against the measure, while several countries abstained. The piece says the issue matters because map projections influence education, public understanding and global perception, especially of Africa and other equatorial regions.