The United Nations General Assembly has endorsed the Equal Earth Projection, a map resolution championed by African nations and advocacy groups to correct centuries of distortion under the Mercator projection. The non-binding vote passed with 164 member states in favor, despite opposition from the United States and six abstentions.
The Shift from Mercator to Equal Earth
The United Nations has accepted the Correct the Map resolution, stepping away from the centuries-old Mercator map in favor of the Equal Earth projection. This decision marks the culmination of a campaign led by African countries and advocacy groups to reject what supporters term cartographic colonialism
.
Designed in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator, the traditional map was built to help European sailors navigate across the world at sea. To preserve straight compass bearings on a flat surface, the projection drastically distorts proportions as latitude increases. Countries near the equator appear shrunken, while regions closer to the north and south poles swell to anywhere from two to fourteen times their actual size.
On the Mercator map, Greenland and Africa appear roughly equal in scale, even though Africa is actually about 14 times larger. Campaigners argue that this distortion creates a psychological effect, because humans instinctively associate larger physical size with greater global importance.
Global Reception and Diplomatic Friction
Friday’s resolution was sponsored by Togo and backed by members of the African Union, securing 164 votes in favor. Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey championed the change before the vote, telling a UN briefing that a map is never neutral and that it actively shapes public perceptions of peoples and continents.
France also welcomed the shift. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot wrote on social media that correcting a distorted representation is already an act of truth
. Africa No Filter, a leading advocacy group behind the campaign, praised the vote, with Lerato Mogoatlhe telling reporters that Africa’s historical misrepresentation represents a core narrative issue rather than a simple cartographic mistake.
Not all member states shared that enthusiasm. The United States cast the lone no
vote against the proposal. US representative Yaryna Ferencevych criticized the debate during proceedings as a departure from pressing international crises.
“Instead of focusing on genuine problems of international peace, prosperity, or good relations, this body is debating map projects from the 16th Century, and their role in promoting reparations and “cognitive justice”.”
Yaryna Ferencevych, US representative at the UN
American delegates also objected to language linking Mercator’s distortions to colonial legacies and the marginalization of Africa. Alongside the United States, six countries—Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Ukraine—abstained from the vote. Ukraine raised specific objections regarding the depiction of the contested Crimean Peninsula, which the Equal Earth projection marks as contested territory, prompting a broader exchange of geopolitical points among delegations.
Cartographic Reality and Everyday Use
Cartographers and geographers point out that flattening a three-dimensional globe inevitably involves compromise. Every map projection distorts shape, area, distance, or direction. Mark Monmonier, a geography professor at Syracuse University, noted that the traditional Mercator map is useful exclusively for navigation, adding that outside of that narrow application, there is no point in using it.
However, practical realities mean the old projection will not disappear overnight. Because online mapping platforms like Google Maps and Apple Maps rely on Mercator variations to calculate precise compass bearings without recalculation, digital navigation tools will continue using the legacy format. Developed in 2018 by a team of cartographers, the Equal Earth projection fixes land area proportions, but it sacrifices the straight lines required for navigation.
What Changes Next?
The UN resolution carries no enforcement mechanism. It does not ban the Mercator projection or mandate a replacement, but instead encourages governments, educators, and international institutions to adopt the Equal Earth projection voluntarily. Making the transition a global standard requires substantial financial investment and labor to revise textbooks, databases, media productions, and diplomatic discussions.
While wall maps utilizing the Equal Earth projection are commercially available and have seen use across various media outlets, widespread adoption ultimately depends on whether institutions and individuals choose to opt in.
