The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution to endorse a new map aimed at providing a more accurate depiction of Africa and its geographical context. The decision, supported by 164 member countries, prioritizes the Equal Earth cartographic projection over the traditional Mercator projection.
The resolution, driven by several African nations, was met with criticism from the United States, which opposed the initiative. A U.S. representative declared that actions like these contribute to the erosion of the UN’s credibility, suggesting that the organization should focus on pressing global issues instead.
Foreign Minister Robert Dussey of Togo, who played a critical role in advancing the resolution, emphasized the importance of maps in shaping perceptions and narratives. He argued that distorted representations can have lasting impacts on generations.
The Equal Earth projection, developed by a team of cartographers in 2018, aims to reflect the true relative sizes of continents while maintaining their shapes, thus addressing the inaccuracies of the Mercator projection, which tends to inflate northern regions and diminish equatorial ones. This has historically resulted in an exaggerated visual representation of Europe and North America relative to Africa and South America.
France, a co-sponsor of the resolution, announced plans to discontinue the Mercator projection, highlighting its disproportionate portrayal of various countries. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated that revising the representation on maps is a step toward acknowledging truths about the world’s demographics.
This initiative reflects ongoing efforts to improve relations between France and African nations, particularly in light of historical tensions stemming from colonialism.
