UN votes to adopt new world map that reflects Africa’s true size

What the report says

The United Nations General Assembly has backed a resolution to promote a new world map that shows Africa’s size more accurately, in a move supported by African Union member states and the Bahamas. According to Al Jazeera, the vote passed 164-1, with six abstentions, and was framed by supporters as an effort to challenge a long-standing colonial-era distortion in global mapmaking.

The campaign, led by Togo within the African Union, seeks to limit reliance on the Mercator projection, a 16th-century map widely used in classrooms and digital products. That projection enlarges land near the poles and makes regions such as Greenland appear much larger relative to Africa than they really are. Supporters say this has affected how Africa is viewed in education, media and policy. The resolution promotes the Equal Earth projection, which is designed to show continents more proportionally.

The resolution is not legally binding and does not affect the use of Mercator for navigation, a point emphasized by Togo’s government. The United States cast the lone vote against it, saying the measure reflected an ideological agenda. France, by contrast, said it planned to move away from Mercator in favor of map styles better suited to specific uses.

Advocacy groups involved in the campaign said the vote is only an initial step and called for more accurate maps in schools, newsrooms, businesses and online platforms. The broader effort reflects a wider push by African officials and campaigners to confront colonial-era legacies and improve how the continent is represented globally.