UN backs more accurate world maps to better reflect Africa’s size

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution encouraging the use of world maps that more accurately represent the relative size of continents, particularly Africa.

The resolution was supported by 164 countries, with six abstentions. The United States was among those that abstained, describing the initiative as “unnecessary.”

The measure challenges the widespread use of the Mercator projection, a mapping system dating to the 16th century. Although useful for navigation, the projection has long been criticized for significantly distorting land areas.

On Mercator maps, territories closer to the poles appear much larger than they are. Greenland, for example, can look nearly as large as Africa, even though the African continent is approximately 14 times bigger.

Togo introduced the resolution with the backing of the African Union. Supporters argue that adopting more proportional maps could help correct a misleading view of the world that has become deeply embedded in educational resources and institutional materials.

Togo’s foreign minister described the proposal primarily as a scientific initiative, maintaining that commonly used maps should more closely reflect geographical reality.

The resolution does not require countries to immediately replace their official maps. However, it could gradually encourage schools, government websites and digital platforms to adopt projections that portray land areas more accurately.

The campaign has also attracted public support. A petition titled “Correct the Map,” signed by approximately 11,000 people, highlighted Africa’s immense size: the continent is large enough to contain the United States, China, India, Japan, Mexico and much of Europe—with room still remaining.