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Distortion of maps coming to an end

UN adopts new world map reflecting Africa's true size

Published : Sunday, 6 September, 2026 at 11:05 AM

Observer Online Report

The United Nations General Assembly has voted to formally phase out the traditional 16th-century Mercator world map in favor of a design showing the accurate size of Africa.

A total of 164 countries voted in favor of the Togo-sponsored resolution, while six countries abstained and only the United States voted against it.

According to a report by The Guardian, the new standard adopts the 2018 Equal Earth projection to fix long-standing geographical distortions. Under the traditional Mercator system created in 1569, equatorial regions appear significantly smaller while high-latitude areas look much larger. For instance, the old layout shows Greenland and Africa as similar in size, even though the African continent is 14 times larger.

Although UN resolutions are non-binding, the decision is expected to overhaul educational curriculums, governance frameworks, and digital navigation platforms worldwide.

Togo spearheaded the initiative on behalf of the African Union under the #CorrectTheMap campaign. Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey stated that the change addresses scientific reality and corrects lasting cognitive and geopolitical biases that minimized the Global South.

Supporting the movement, France announced it will transition to the Eckert IV projection in its own systems.

Togo plans to host an implementation meeting in Lomé early next year alongside UNESCO, the African Union, and major technology firms including Google Maps.

-SA

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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury

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