The UN General Assembly has voted to replace the traditional world map with one that more accurately reflects the size of Africa. The “Correct the Map” resolution, sponsored by Togo and backed by African Union (AU) members, passed with the support of 164 nations, including India, France and the UK. The United States was the only nation to vote against it, while six countries abstained.
The UN vote is non-binding, but it will encourage governments and institutions to stop using the traditional Mercator map.
The Mercator map, which has been in common use since the 16th Century, has come under criticism as it shows Africa as similar in size to Greenland, even though it is 14 times larger. Critics say this leads to the development needs and potential for countries near the equator to be minimised.
The Mercator map was designed in 1569 by the Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator to help European explorers navigate across the world. The map makes countries near the poles appear much larger than they really are. The distortion of his map is a result of the fact that it is impossible to accurately represent the surface of a globe on a two-dimensional chart.
In an effort to correct this, a team of cartographers in 2018 created an equal area map they called the Equal Earth projection, which shows the relative sizes of continents more accurately.
In February, the African Union’s 54 member states adopted it and said it more accurately represents the sizes of all continents, particularly Africa.
Ahead of the voting, Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey, talking to media, said a fair world begins with a fair map. At a UN briefing, Mr Dussey said, a map is never neutral. It shapes perceptions and influences how the place of peoples and continents in the world is understood.
France has also backed the change and said it plans to stop using the Mercator map. However, the United States criticised the UN vote, arguing that the General Assembly should focus on more serious global issues.
Campaigners say maps are more than just guides for travellers, they shape how regions are perceived politically and economically.
