The United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to encourage a shift away from the familiar Mercator world map towards projections that show continents closer to their true size. The non-binding “Correct the Map” resolution, sponsored by Togo and backed by African Union members, passed 164-1 on Friday, with six abstentions. The United States cast the only no vote. For more than four centuries the Mercator projection has been the default classroom and newsroom map. It keeps compass bearings straight, useful for sailors, but stretches land near the poles. Greenland can look as large as Africa. Africa is in fact about 14 times bigger.&nbsp;India voted in favour. Indian Diplomat Raghoo Puri told the Assembly the delegation welcomed the aim of more accurate, representative maps. “Maps play an important role in how societies understand geography and the relative scale of the world around us,” he said. But New Delhi's backing came with a caveat. The resolution, Puri argued, should be read as support for equal-area projections in general , maps that keep the relative size of landmasses honest, not as an endorsement of the 2018 Equal Earth projection or any single design.&nbsp;“Equal area projections are particularly relevant because they preserve the relative sizes or areas of continental and territorial landmasses,” he said. “This can help address distortions in perceived landmass size.” Different jobs need different maps, he added. No one projection fits every purpose. The text should stay “technological and methodological neutral,” leaving countries, schools and cartographers free to choose.&nbsp;ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/what-is-iran-s-pickaxe-mountain-that-trump-has-again-threatened-to-bomb-1788585763463">What is Iran's Pickaxe Mountain that Trump has again threatened to bomb?</a>&nbsp;India’s position, he pointed, was limited to “the principle of encouraging equal area approaches, where the objective is to preserve the relative sizes of continental landmasses.” That, he said, met the resolution’s goal without favouring one method. “India has therefore voted in favor of this resolution.”&nbsp;The resolution does not ban Mercator. Navigators can still use it. It urges schools, media, governments and tech firms to prefer equal-area maps when size comparisons matter. France has already said it will drop Mercator in official materials. The African Union adopted Equal Earth earlier this year. Washington called the vote a distraction from peace and prosperity and linked it to a “radical ideological project.” Six countries, several in Eastern Europe, abstained.&nbsp;Over time the vote is likely to filter into textbooks, news graphics and digital maps. Children in India and elsewhere may grow up seeing Africa as the vast continent it is.

India voted in favour as Indian Diplomat Raghoo Puri told the Assembly the delegation welcomed the aim of more accurate, representative maps. 

The United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to encourage a shift away from the familiar Mercator world map towards projections that show continents closer to their true size. The non-binding “Correct the Map” resolution, sponsored by Togo and backed by African Union members, passed 164-1 on Friday, with six abstentions. The United States cast the only no vote. For more than four centuries the Mercator projection has been the default classroom and newsroom map. It keeps compass bearings straight, useful for sailors, but stretches land near the poles. Greenland can look as large as Africa. Africa is in fact about 14 times bigger. India voted in favour. Indian Diplomat Raghoo Puri told the Assembly the delegation welcomed the aim of more accurate, representative maps. “Maps play an important role in how societies understand geography and the relative scale of the world around us,” he said. But New Delhi's backing came with a caveat. The resolution, Puri argued, should be read as support for equal-area projections in general , maps that keep the relative size of landmasses honest, not as an endorsement of the 2018 Equal Earth projection or any single design. “Equal area projections are particularly relevant because they preserve the relative sizes or areas of continental and territorial landmasses,” he said. “This can help address distortions in perceived landmass size.” Different jobs need different maps, he added. No one projection fits every purpose. The text should stay “technological and methodological neutral,” leaving countries, schools and cartographers free to choose. ALSO READ: What is Iran's Pickaxe Mountain that Trump has again threatened to bomb? India’s position, he pointed, was limited to “the principle of encouraging equal area approaches, where the objective is to preserve the relative sizes of continental landmasses.” That, he said, met the resolution’s goal without favouring one method. “India has therefore voted in favor of this resolution.” The resolution does not ban Mercator. Navigators can still use it. It urges schools, media, governments and tech firms to prefer equal-area maps when size comparisons matter. France has already said it will drop Mercator in official materials. The African Union adopted Equal Earth earlier this year. Washington called the vote a distraction from peace and prosperity and linked it to a “radical ideological project.” Six countries, several in Eastern Europe, abstained. Over time the vote is likely to filter into textbooks, news graphics and digital maps. Children in India and elsewhere may grow up seeing Africa as the vast continent it is.

India voted in favour as Indian Diplomat Raghoo Puri told the Assembly the delegation welcomed the aim of more accurate, representative maps.&nbsp;

UN votes to ‘correct the map’ as India backs fairer world view

Only the US voted no. On Friday (Sep 4), the United Nations General Assembly voted to adopt the "Correct the Map" resolution. For centuries, standard world maps visually shrunk the true size of Africa. Now, 164 countries have voted in favour of introducing a map that accurately depicts the region's scale, with the United States casting the sole opposing vote. In a session held at the UN headquarters in New York, the UNGA officially moved away from the 16th-century Mercator projection in favour of the 2018 Equal Earth design.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Mercator projection, created by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, was originally designed for maritime navigation because it preserved linear directions. However, its mathematical formula heavily distorts the size of landmasses as they stretch toward the poles. As a result, standard classroom and digital maps have long depicted Greenland as roughly the same size as Africa, despite Africa being more than 14 times larger (30.3 million square kilometers compared to Greenland's 2.1 million).&nbsp;&nbsp;Supporters of the "Correct the Map" initiative argued that centuries of Mercator-based cartography fostered a subtle form of visual bias, subconsciously diminishing the perceived geopolitical and demographic weight of the Global South. The resolution urges member nations, educational publishers, and digital platform providers to transition to equal-area projections in all public, academic, and administrative uses.&nbsp;The Equal Earth projection, developed in 2018 by cartographers Bojan Savric, Tom Patterson, and Bernhard Jenny, was chosen for its ability to maintain accurate relative land areas while preserving visually accurate continent outlines. Unlike rectangular cylindrical maps, Equal Earth offers a curved frame that avoids severe distortion at higher latitudes while representing Africa, South America, and Asia at their true relative scale.&nbsp;

The UN General Assembly has voted 164–1 to phase out the 1569 Mercator map projection in favor of the Equal Earth map. Learn how the new map accurately reflects Africa's true size after 450 years of distortion. 

Only the US voted no. On Friday (Sep 4), the United Nations General Assembly voted to adopt the "Correct the Map" resolution. For centuries, standard world maps visually shrunk the true size of Africa. Now, 164 countries have voted in favour of introducing a map that accurately depicts the region's scale, with the United States casting the sole opposing vote. In a session held at the UN headquarters in New York, the UNGA officially moved away from the 16th-century Mercator projection in favour of the 2018 Equal Earth design. The Mercator projection, created by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, was originally designed for maritime navigation because it preserved linear directions. However, its mathematical formula heavily distorts the size of landmasses as they stretch toward the poles. As a result, standard classroom and digital maps have long depicted Greenland as roughly the same size as Africa, despite Africa being more than 14 times larger (30.3 million square kilometers compared to Greenland's 2.1 million). Supporters of the "Correct the Map" initiative argued that centuries of Mercator-based cartography fostered a subtle form of visual bias, subconsciously diminishing the perceived geopolitical and demographic weight of the Global South. The resolution urges member nations, educational publishers, and digital platform providers to transition to equal-area projections in all public, academic, and administrative uses. The Equal Earth projection, developed in 2018 by cartographers Bojan Savric, Tom Patterson, and Bernhard Jenny, was chosen for its ability to maintain accurate relative land areas while preserving visually accurate continent outlines. Unlike rectangular cylindrical maps, Equal Earth offers a curved frame that avoids severe distortion at higher latitudes while representing Africa, South America, and Asia at their true relative scale.

The UN General Assembly has voted 164–1 to phase out the 1569 Mercator map projection in favour of the Equal Earth map. Learn how the new map accurately reflects Africa's true size after 450 years of distortion.

UN votes to correct world map that visually shrank Africa for 450 years

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UN votes to ‘correct the map’ as India backs fairer world view

UN votes to correct world map that visually shrank Africa for 450 years