UN to vote on adopting new world map that shows Africa’s true scale
Summary
The UN General Assembly will vote on a proposal to replace the traditional Mercator world map with a more accurate map that better shows Africa’s true size. The change is supported by Togo, the African Union, and other countries to improve how Africa is represented in education and technology.Key Facts
- The Mercator map was created in 1569 and is widely used but distorts the size of countries, making Africa look smaller than it is.
- Africa is actually 14 times larger than Greenland, even though the Mercator map shows them as similar in size.
- The UN vote is based on a resolution sponsored by Togo and backed by the African Union's 54 member states.
- The resolution is non-binding but could lead to changes in school lessons and digital maps worldwide.
- Critics say the Mercator map reflects old western views and affects how power and development are seen globally.
- Alternatives like the Gall-Peters map and the 2018 Equal Earth map show countries more accurately by size.
- The #CorrectTheMap campaign pushes for the Equal Earth map to be adopted to correct misconceptions about Africa.
- The vote follows a recent UN decision, also led by African countries, to recognize the slave trade as a grave crime against humanity.
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