New York, September 5, 2026: The way people around the world visualize the planet could gradually change after the United Nations General Assembly backed a resolution encouraging greater use of the Equal Earth map projection over the centuries-old Mercator projection.

The resolution, promoted by Togo and supported by African countries and the African Union, was approved by an overwhelming 164 votes in favour, while six countries abstained and the United States voted against it. The initiative seeks to encourage maps that present the relative sizes of continents and countries more accurately.

Why the World Map Is Being Reconsidered

Most people have encountered the Mercator map in classrooms, atlases and online geographic resources. Created by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, it was designed primarily to assist maritime navigation.

Its major strength is the preservation of directions and angles, which made it extremely useful for sailors. However, that mathematical advantage comes with an important trade-off: the projection dramatically enlarges land areas as they move toward the poles.

Consequently, countries and regions in northern latitudes can look much larger than their actual surface area.

Africa provides one of the most striking examples. On a Mercator-based map, Africa and Greenland can appear surprisingly similar in size. In reality, Africa has roughly 14 times the land area of Greenland.

Enter the Equal Earth Projection

The Equal Earth projection, introduced in 2018, was developed specifically to provide a more balanced visual representation of global land areas.

Unlike Mercator, Equal Earth is an equal-area projection. This means that the relative surface areas of countries and continents are preserved more accurately, although no flat map can perfectly reproduce every characteristic of a spherical Earth.

Under Equal Earth, Africa appears much closer to its actual relative size. South America, Oceania and other regions whose areas are visually reduced by certain traditional projections also receive a more proportionate representation.

The result is not simply a different-looking map. Supporters argue that it can change the way students, readers and map users understand the physical scale of different parts of the world.

Africa at the Centre of the Campaign

The push for the change has been strongly associated with African governments and institutions.

Togo led the campaign behind the UN initiative, arguing that maps influence more than geographical knowledge. According to supporters, repeatedly displaying Africa as visually smaller than it really is can contribute to distorted perceptions of the continent.

The campaign therefore connects cartography with education, cultural representation and historical awareness.

Supporters maintain that improving maps can help people develop a more accurate understanding of the world’s geography rather than relying on visual impressions created by a projection originally developed for a very different purpose.

A Map Cannot Show Everything Perfectly

The debate also highlights an important fact about cartography: there is no perfect flat map of Earth.

Because Earth is approximately spherical, transferring its surface onto a flat sheet inevitably produces some form of distortion. Different projections are designed to preserve different properties.

Mercator is particularly useful when maintaining angles and directions is important. Equal Earth prioritizes the accurate comparison of surface areas.

Therefore, the UN-backed initiative does not mean that every Mercator map suddenly becomes useless.

Instead, it encourages governments, educational institutions, international organisations and other map producers to consider projections that better communicate relative land area when area comparison is the objective.

The Resolution Does Not Ban Mercator

One of the most important details surrounding the decision is that the UN resolution is not legally binding.

The measure encourages the wider adoption of Equal Earth and other approaches that provide more accurate representations of continental size. It does not create a worldwide legal prohibition on Mercator.

Mercator is also expected to remain useful in areas where its particular characteristics provide practical advantages, especially navigation.

This distinction means that the change is better understood as an international recommendation rather than an immediate replacement of every existing world map.

The United States Opposes the Resolution

Although the resolution received broad international support, the United States voted against it.

American representatives criticized the initiative as an ideological exercise and argued that the UN should concentrate on more pressing international challenges.

The overwhelming vote nevertheless demonstrated significant support among member states for promoting alternative representations of world geography.

What Could Change in the Future?

The impact of the resolution is likely to be gradual rather than immediate.

Schools could begin introducing Equal Earth maps in geography textbooks. Governments and international organisations may use area-preserving projections more frequently in reports and educational materials. Digital mapping companies could also provide users with additional projection choices.

Togo has indicated that it intends to update its own geography materials and encourage other countries to consider similar changes. Discussions involving African Union members and international partners are expected to contribute to the campaign’s next phase.

Why This Matters Beyond Geography

At first glance, changing a world map may seem like a technical issue for cartographers. But maps are among the most influential tools used to communicate information about the planet.

A map can shape people’s understanding of distance, size, location and importance. When one projection dominates classrooms and media for generations, its visual characteristics can become deeply familiar—even when those characteristics do not accurately represent physical area.

The Equal Earth debate therefore raises a broader question: Should the maps people use for education and general understanding prioritize historical familiarity or geographic proportionality?

The UN resolution represents a clear preference for giving greater attention to proportional land area.

A New Chapter in the History of World Maps

The move does not erase the historical importance of the Mercator projection. Its contribution to navigation and cartography remains significant, and its ability to preserve angles made it exceptionally valuable for maritime purposes.

But the needs of modern education and global communication are not necessarily identical to those of 16th-century sailors.

The UN’s decision reflects that changing purpose. As technology gives people access to interactive globes, satellite imagery and multiple digital projections, there is less reason to rely on a single traditional representation for every purpose.

Equal Earth is therefore unlikely to make Mercator disappear overnight. Instead, the resolution could encourage a broader understanding that different maps serve different purposes.

For millions of students and map users, the most visible consequence may simply be a new perspective: Africa will look much closer to the enormous continent it actually is, while regions near the poles will no longer appear disproportionately huge.

In that sense, the debate is not really about replacing one map with another. It is about making people more aware that every map is a particular interpretation of a three-dimensional world—and choosing the right projection can make geographic information considerably more truthful and useful.