A new and more realistic world map that depicts the African continent as larger and North America and Europe as smaller in size was adopted by the United Nations on Saturday with the intent of “a more accurate representation” on continental landmasses.
However, the move drew the US’ ire while the resolution was supported by 164 countries. Six other nations abstained from voting.
Equal Earth Cartographic projection
The new map is called the Equal Earth cartographic projection. It improves “the accuracy of the cartographic representation of the world,” the resolution said.
The resolution urges member states to adopt the Equal Earth projection instead of the traditional Mercator map, which was created by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569 for maritime navigation.
Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey, whose country sponsored the resolution, said maps shape education, imagination and public perceptions, adding that this is why they are not neutral.ย
He warned that distorted maps can perpetuate inaccurate representations across generations.
Why the US objected to the resolution
The United States criticised the resolution, arguing that the institution should focus on more pressing global issues rather than debating centuries-old map projections.
The Mercator projection accurately represents shapes and angles but distorts the relative size of land masses because it attempts to depict a three-dimensional globe on a flat surface.ย
What changes in the new world map
It enlarges northern regions while shrinking areas near the equator, making Europe and North America appear larger and Africa and South America smaller than they actually are.
The Equal Earth projection, developed by a group of cartographers in 2018, preserves the relative surface areas of continents while maintaining their shapes as closely as possible to their appearance on a globe.
France, which co-sponsored the resolution, announced that it would abandon the Mercator projection. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the traditional map gives disproportionate visual prominence to countries such as the United States, Russia and China, while making regions including Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia appear smaller.
He said changing maps would not change the world, but correcting a distorted representation was an important step toward presenting a more accurate picture of it.ย
The move also comes as France seeks to strengthen ties with African nations, particularly former colonies with which its relations have often been strained.
With inputs from AFP
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