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UN backs new world map that corrects Africa's distorted size

UN backs new world map that corrects Africa's distorted size

Rule Changes

General Assembly votes 164-1 for equal-area maps; Togo aims to update school maps by year-end

September 4th, 2026: UN adopts 'Correct the Map' resolution

Overview

Updated Sep 22

For around 450 years, the standard world map made Africa look roughly the size of Greenland. On September 4, the United Nations General Assembly voted 164 to 1 to encourage schools, governments, and tech companies to show Africa's true dimensions.

The 16th-century Mercator projection, built for sailing, inflates land near the poles and shrinks land near the equator. Africa is about 14 times larger than Greenland; the non-binding resolution promotes equal-area maps such as Equal Earth, created in 2018. Togo, which led the campaign, hopes to update its school geography materials by the end of 2026.

Why it matters

Maps shape perception: a projection that shrank Africa for 450 years quietly influenced how the world sees the continent's scale and potential.

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Key Indicators

164
UN member states voting in favor
Togo's resolution passed with overwhelming support from the General Assembly.
1
votes against (United States)
The US called the measure part of a radical ideological project.
6
abstentions
Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine abstained.
14x
Africa's real size relative to Greenland
Mercator makes them look similar even though Africa is about 14 times larger.
Year-end 2026
Togo's target for updated school maps
Foreign Minister Robert Dussey told Reuters that Togo hopes to change its school geography materials by then.

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People Involved

Faure Gnassingbé
Faure Gnassingbé
President of Togo
Championed the 'Correct the Map' resolution
 Mahmoud Ali Youssouf
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf
Chairperson of the African Union Commission
Welcomed the resolution's adoption
 Jean-Noël Barrot
Jean-Noël Barrot
France's minister for Europe and foreign affairs
Announced France would drop Mercator for its world maps
RD
Robert Dussey
Togo's Minister of Foreign Affairs
Led the 'Correct the Map' campaign for the African Group
MM
Moky Makura
Executive Director of Africa No Filter
Leads the 'Correct the World' map campaign

Organizations Involved

United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
International body
Adopted resolution A/80/L.104

The UN's main deliberative body, representing all 193 member states.
African Union
African Union
Intergovernmental organization
Champion of the resolution

The 55-member continental body that backed the African-led campaign.
Republic of Togo
Republic of Togo
UN member state
Sponsored the resolution

West African nation that led the cartographic reform campaign.
United States delegation
United States delegation
National delegation
Sole vote against the resolution

The only UN member state to oppose the map resolution.
Africa No Filter
Africa No Filter
Advocacy organization
Runs the 'Correct the World' map campaign

Advocacy organization behind the 'Correct the World' map campaign.

Timeline

1569 September 2026

6 events Latest: September 4th, 2026 · 2 months ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. UN adopts 'Correct the Map' resolution

    Latest Vote

    General Assembly votes 164-1 to encourage equal-area map projections.

  2. Informal consultations on the draft

    Diplomacy

    UN General Assembly holds informal talks on the 'Correct the Map' resolution.

  3. Togo brings the issue to the UN

    Diplomacy

    Togo asks UN member states to consider adopting equal-area maps.

  4. African Union adopts Equal Earth map

    Policy

    The AU's member states endorse the projection over Mercator.

  5. Equal Earth projection released

    Historical

    Cartographers create an equal-area map preserving relative continent sizes.

  6. Mercator publishes his world map projection

    Historical

    Gerardus Mercator's navigation map becomes the standard; it distorts land sizes.

Scenarios

1

Equal-area maps become the norm in classrooms and digital platforms

Possible Resolves by Sep 4, 2028

Discussed by: African Union Commission; French government

France has already announced it will drop Mercator for its world maps. If other governments and major education or tech companies follow, Equal Earth becomes the default for geographic education while Mercator stays in use for navigation, which the resolution explicitly permits.

2

Resolution stays symbolic as Mercator endures in classrooms

Possible Resolves by Sep 4, 2028

Discussed by: Critics noting the resolution is non-binding

The vote carries no enforcement power, and North American publishers have used Mercator-based maps for decades. Without cost or habit shifting, most classrooms keep the familiar projection, and the resolution becomes a statement rather than a change.

3

Territory-dispute safeguards shape implementation

Uncertain Resolves by Sep 4, 2027

Discussed by: Ukraine; European Union

Ukraine objected that the Equal Earth projection depicts occupied Ukrainian territory in an unacceptable way. The EU stressed the resolution does not affect sovereignty or borders. UN agencies may avoid Equal Earth on official maps and issue guidance that binds map choices to recognized borders.

4

Togo switches school geography materials to equal-area maps by end of 2026

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey; Reuters

Dussey told Reuters that Togo hopes to change its school geography materials by the end of 2026. The change would test whether the UN resolution translates into classroom practice.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1974-1980s

Gall–Peters projection debate (1974)

German historian Arno Peters presented an equal-area map showing Europe far smaller than on Mercator. He argued the familiar projection inflated Europe's apparent importance. Cartographic societies spent over a decade contesting the claims.

Then

Major publishers and aid agencies adopted the Peters map, and the debate dominated geographic conferences for years.

Now

It established that map choice is political, not just technical, and pushed publishers to disclose projection limitations.

Why this matters now

The 1974 dispute previewed today's argument that Mercator is a tool of cognitive distortion, not a neutral view of the world.

October 2010

Kai Krause's 'The True Size' map (2010)

Designer Kai Krause released a viral graphic fitting all the world's countries inside Africa's borders. The image, with data verified by the UN's cartographic office, showed Africa's 30 million square kilometers dwarf every other landmass.

Then

The graphic spread across the internet and appears in classrooms worldwide.

Now

It turned the size distortion into public knowledge and built popular demand for accurate maps.

Why this matters now

Krause's image is the cultural taproot of the campaign that ended in the UN vote; it made the Mercator distortion tangible to millions.

October 1884

International Meridian Conference (1884)

Delegates from 25 nations voted to make Greenwich the prime meridian, the world's zero point for longitude. The choice favored the British Empire, which controlled the maritime routes the line served.

Then

Greenwich became the basis for global time zones and navigation standards.

Now

The conference showed that decisions about global geographic representation are made by political power, not neutral science.

Why this matters now

Like the 1884 vote, the 2026 map resolution is a political decision about how the world is represented, with real consequences for how regions are perceived.

Sources

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BBC News UN News UN Meetings Coverage and Press Releases Deutsche Welle African Union Al Jazeera CNN The Irish Times UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa The Guardian EL PAÍS Foreign Policy Journal Al Jazeera