The UN General Assembly supported a resolution calling for the abandonment of the traditional world map — the Mercator projection — and to use maps that more accurately represent the real areas of continents and countries, especially Africa, Greenland, and Russia.
164 countries voted for the resolution, and six abstained. Only the USA voted against it. The American representative called the document unnecessary.
The Mercator projection was created by Flemish cartographer Gerard Mercator in 1569. It was originally intended for marine navigation, allowing for the preservation of correct angles and azimuths on the map.
However, this projection greatly distorts the sizes of territories. The further a particular area is from the equator, the larger it appears on the map compared to its real dimensions. For example, Greenland on a Mercator map seems almost as large as Africa, although in reality Africa is approximately 14 times larger.
The resolution on abandoning the traditional world map was proposed by the African state of Togo, and it was supported by the countries of the African Union.
The #CorrectTheMap campaign, supported by the African Union in 2025, advocates for the use of the more accurate Equal Earth projection, created in 2018.
The campaign's petition notes that the territory of Africa could accommodate the USA, China, India, Japan, Mexico, and most of Europe, with still some space left over. The petition has already gathered more than 11,000 signatures.
As notes The Guardian, the resolution of the UN General Assembly is not binding. However, its adoption could influence school curricula and the maps people use in their daily lives.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has already stated that France will abandon Mercator maps in favor of projections adapted to specific tasks. According to him, such maps more accurately represent true areas and comply with the recommendations of cartographers and scientists.
The government of Togo plans to hold an event in the country's capital, Lomé, with the participation of UNESCO and Google Maps, to develop a plan for implementing the resolution.
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