The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the weekend adopted a resolution promoting the wider use of equal-area world maps, including the Equal Earth projection, in a move aimed at addressing long-standing distortions in the representation of Africa and other equatorial regions.
The resolution, titled: “Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable Representation of the World’s Regions, Particularly Africa,” was adopted by a recorded vote of 164 in favour to one against, with six countries abstaining.
The United States voted against the resolution, while Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, the Republic of Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine abstained.
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The initiative, sponsored principally by African Union (AU) member states, seeks to encourage governments, schools, international organisations and technology companies to use equal-area projections where the comparative size of continents is relevant.
Supporters argued that the widespread use of the Mercator projection, developed by Flemish cartographer, Gerardus Mercator in 1569, has contributed to an exaggerated visual representation of Europe and other regions farther from the equator while making Africa and other equatorial regions appear disproportionately smaller.
Introducing the resolution on behalf of the Group of African States, Togo’s Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey, said the debate was not simply about cartography but about how people understand the world.
Dussey said maps had been used for centuries in textbooks, the media, digital platforms and official documents in ways that distorted the relative size of continents.
“Correcting the map means recognising that every region of the world deserves to be represented accurately and with dignity,” he said.
He stressed that the initiative was not intended to target any country or challenge established cartographic traditions.
“Our approach is not directed against any nation, any civilisation or any cartographic tradition,” Dussey said, adding that the objective was to promote projections that “better preserve the true proportions of continents,” including the Equal Earth projection supported by the African Union.
According to him, the issue has implications beyond geography, touching on education, culture, geopolitics, development narratives and perceptions of Africa’s economic and strategic potential.
“A fair map does not change the geography of the world; it changes how we see the world,” he said. “And when our perspective becomes more just, it paves the way for greater understanding, respect and peace among nations,” he added.
The United States, however, opposed the resolution, arguing that it advanced an ideological agenda and diverted attention from more pressing international challenges.
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The resolution is non-binding and does not seek to replace the Mercator projection in areas where it remains particularly useful, including maritime and aerial navigation.
Togo said it would nevertheless lead efforts to encourage wider adoption of the Equal Earth projection, beginning with changes to its own educational materials.
Dussey said: “Togo will be the first country to change our own geography books. In the classroom, we need to change it to give an example to all the countries in the world.”
He added that Togo planned to engage AU member states and supporters from other regions over the next six months on measures to promote the wider adoption of alternative map projections.
The campaign, he said, was part of efforts to address colonial-era legacies and improve the way Africa is represented globally, rather than an attempt to disparage Europe or any other civilisation. “The world is changing. Africa also is changing,” Dussey said.
