The United Nations General Assembly has voted to replace the centuries-old Mercator map projection with the Equal Earth projection, a move that vastly increases the apparent size of Africa while diminishing the perceived size of countries like the United States and the United Kingdom. The resolution, a culmination of a campaign by African nations and advocacy groups against what they term 'cartographic colonialism,' passed with 164 member states in favor. The U.S. was the only nation to vote against the resolution, while six other countries abstained.
Supporters of the change, including Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey, argue that maps are not neutral and shape perceptions of global importance. Dussey stated at a UN briefing that "A map is never neutral. It shapes perceptions, influences how the place of peoples and continents in the world is understood." The resolution encourages governments and institutions worldwide to adopt the Equal Earth projection.
Critics of the Mercator projection, first created in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator for sea navigation, contend that it distorts the true proportions of landmasses. Specifically, the Mercator map makes countries near the equator appear smaller and those nearer the poles appear larger. For instance, Africa and Greenland are depicted as roughly the same size on the Mercator map, despite Africa being approximately 14 times larger in reality. Campaigners assert that this distortion can create a psychological effect, making some regions seem less significant than they are. Geographers note that the Mercator projection's accuracy was limited to preserving angles for navigation, a function it performed well, but at the cost of accurate area representation.
In contrast, the Equal Earth projection, developed by cartographers in 2018, aims to represent continents in their true proportions. However, this projection sacrifices the straight lines of the Mercator map, meaning it cannot be used for measuring true distances in the same way.
U.S. representative at the UN, Yaryna Ferencevych, criticized the resolution, stating it "mocked the work and purpose of the UN General Assembly" by focusing on a 16th-century map projection rather than "genuine problems of international peace, prosperity, or good relations." The U.S. also recently opposed a UN resolution declaring the transatlantic slave trade a grave crime against humanity.
Despite the U.S. opposition, advocates like those from Africa No Filter hailed the resolution as a step towards accurate representation. They aim for the Equal Earth projection to be used in schools, textbooks, newsrooms, and digital platforms globally. Several nations, including France, welcomed the change, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot noting that correcting a distorted representation is "an act of truth."