UN General Assembly backs the Equal Earth map to show Africa's true size
On a Mercator map Africa looks about as big as Greenland. It is about 14 times bigger. Does that matter?
Published 6 September 2026. Written by Pratidin from the reports linked at the end; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work
The UN General Assembly on 4 September 2026 adopted a resolution titled 'Correct the map' (A/80/L.104) by 164 votes to one, with six abstentions. Introduced by Togo on behalf of the African Group and backed by the African Union, it encourages governments, educational institutions, international organisations and technology companies to use equal-area map projections, such as Equal Earth, when relative size matters, and to teach students the limits of showing a round Earth on a flat map. It does not ban the Mercator projection. The United States cast the only vote against, calling the initiative a 'radical ideological project'. Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine abstained.
A map projection is a mathematical method of transferring the Earth's curved surface onto a flat sheet. No flat map can keep area, shape, distance and direction all true at once, so every projection chooses what to distort. The Mercator projection, made in 1569 by the Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator for sea navigation, keeps local shapes and compass directions true but stretches areas more and more with distance from the Equator. On it Greenland looks about as large as Africa, though Africa, at about 30.4 million square kilometres, is roughly 14 times larger. Because Mercator became common in classrooms and online maps, the resolution's backers argue that it has led to a 'symbolic minimization' of Africa.
Equal Earth, created in 2018 by Bojan Šavrič, Bernhard Jenny and Tom Patterson, is an equal-area pseudocylindrical projection: every region is shown in its correct size relative to others, while shapes stay reasonably familiar. It was inspired by the Robinson projection and was designed partly as an alternative to the Gall-Peters projection, which is also equal-area but badly distorts shapes near the poles. Togo's Foreign Minister Robert Dussey said, 'A fair map does not change the geography of the world, it changes how we see the world.' Like most General Assembly resolutions, this one is a recommendation and is not legally binding.
Prelims facts
- The UN General Assembly adopted the 'Correct the map' resolution (A/80/L.104) on 4 September 2026 by 164 votes to 1, with 6 abstentions; the United States cast the only vote against.
- The resolution was introduced by Togo on behalf of the African Group and backed by the African Union; it encourages equal-area maps but does not ban Mercator.
- The Mercator projection (1569) preserves local shape and direction, which suits navigation, but exaggerates the size of areas far from the Equator.
- Equal Earth (2018), by Bojan Šavrič, Bernhard Jenny and Tom Patterson, is an equal-area pseudocylindrical projection.
- Africa, about 30.4 million square kilometres, is roughly 14 times the size of Greenland.
Quick recall
- Date and vote on the UNGA 'Correct the map' resolution
- 4 September 2026; 164 in favour, 1 against (United States), 6 abstentions.
- Which country introduced the resolution?
- Togo, on behalf of the African Group.
- Resolution number
- A/80/L.104.
- Who created the Mercator projection and when?
- Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator, 1569.
- What does Mercator preserve?
- Local shape and compass direction, which suits navigation.
- Who created Equal Earth and when?
- Bojan Šavrič, Bernhard Jenny and Tom Patterson, 2018.
- What kind of projection is Equal Earth?
- An equal-area pseudocylindrical projection.
- How much larger is Africa than Greenland?
- About 14 times.
Prelims practice question
Which one of the following properties does the Equal Earth map projection preserve?
- The true shape of every continent
- The true relative area of regions
- True compass direction from any point
- True distance between any two points
Show answer
Answer: (b) The true relative area of regions. Equal Earth is an equal-area projection: it shows every region in its correct size relative to others. No flat map can preserve area, shape, distance and direction together, so it gives up exact shapes, directions and distances.
Asked before in UPSC
Recurring theme: The UN as a forum for Global South agendas, and the East-West divide in multilateral voting
The lone US vote against a resolution backed by 164 states is a small example of the divisions that complicate UN reform and multilateral consensus.
The 'Correct the map' campaign, led by Togo and the African Union, is an instance of the Global South using multilateral forums to amplify its voice, the theme this question asks about.
Mains practice question
Map projections are never neutral. Discuss with reference to the UN General Assembly's 2026 resolution encouraging equal-area maps. (150 words)
Model answer
A map projection converts the Earth's curved surface to a flat plane and must distort area, shape, distance or direction. On 4 September 2026 the UN General Assembly adopted the 'Correct the map' resolution (164 to 1, six abstentions), encouraging equal-area projections such as Equal Earth.
Why projections are not neutral
- Mercator (1569) was built for navigation; it keeps directions true but inflates high latitudes, making Greenland look as large as Africa, which is about 14 times bigger.
- As a default in schools and online maps, it shapes how people perceive regions.
- Backers of the resolution call this a 'symbolic minimization' of Africa.
The other side
- Every projection has trade-offs; Mercator still suits navigation.
- The United States opposed the resolution as ideological.
Significance
- A Global South initiative led by Togo and the African Union.
- Non-binding, but it can influence textbooks and digital maps.
Choosing a map is choosing what to show accurately, so the purpose should decide the projection.
The basics
Why this matters
Every world map is a compromise. The Earth is round and paper is flat, so something has to give. For centuries the most familiar world map in classrooms has been the Mercator projection, which makes Europe and North America look larger than they are and Africa smaller. The UN General Assembly's 2026 resolution asks the world to think about which map it uses and why. Map projections are a Prelims geography basic and a neat Mains example of how knowledge carries power.
What a projection keeps
A projection can keep true area, true shape, true distance or true direction, but never all four across the whole map. See Map projections for the main families. The two maps at the centre of this debate make opposite choices.
- Keeps local shapes and compass directions true
- Built for sea navigation
- Areas grow larger with distance from the Equator
- Greenland looks about as big as Africa
- Keeps the relative area of every region true
- Equal-area pseudocylindrical design
- Shapes distorted slightly, especially near the edges
- Africa appears in its true proportion
The size gap
The most quoted example is Greenland. On a Mercator projection it looks as large as Africa. In reality the gap is enormous.
How we got here
The Equal Earth projection was designed in 2018 as a good-looking equal-area alternative. Its adoption was then championed by African countries in the UN General Assembly.
- 1569Gerardus Mercator publishes his projection for sea navigation
- 2017Boston Public Schools adopt the Gall-Peters equal-area projection
- 2018Šavrič, Jenny and Patterson create the Equal Earth projection
- 4 September 2026UN General Assembly adopts the 'Correct the map' resolution, 164 to 1
Go deeper
In one line: The UN General Assembly has encouraged the use of equal-area world maps such as Equal Earth, which show Africa and other regions in their true relative size, instead of defaulting to the Mercator projection.
Why it matters for UPSC
Map projections are basic Prelims geography, and the resolution is a current example of the Global South using the UN to challenge inherited ways of seeing the world, useful in GS1 and GS2 answers.
The core idea
Every flat map distorts something, as explained in Map projections. The Mercator projection, designed for navigation, keeps directions true but inflates areas near the poles. The Equal Earth projection keeps areas true instead. African countries, led by Togo, took this to the UN General Assembly, which adopted a non-binding resolution asking governments, schools, international bodies and technology companies to use equal-area maps where size matters.
Numbers and dates to remember
- 4 September 2026: resolution adopted
- 164 for, 1 against (United States), 6 abstentions
- A/80/L.104: resolution number
- 1569: Mercator projection
- 2018: Equal Earth projection
- Africa is about 14 times the size of Greenland; about 30.4 million square kilometres
Where to go next
- Map projections: why every flat map distorts
- Mercator projection: the navigator's map that became the default
- Equal Earth projection: the equal-area alternative
- UN General Assembly: what its resolutions can and cannot do
Go deeper: maps, power and perception
The case made by Togo and the African Union is about perception. When the default world map shrinks Africa and enlarges Europe and North America, it can quietly shape how people rank regions in importance. The resolution's backers call this a 'symbolic minimization' of Africa. Togo's Foreign Minister Robert Dussey put it as: 'A fair map does not change the geography of the world, it changes how we see the world.' The remedy they propose is modest: use equal-area maps such as the Equal Earth projection where size matters, and teach the limits of every flat map.
The counter-arguments are partly technical. As Map projections shows, every projection trades one property for another. The Mercator projection is not a mistake; it was designed for navigation, keeps directions and local shapes true, and remains the basis of many web maps because it lets a map be zoomed and tiled smoothly. Critics say the answer is map literacy, not endorsing one projection. The United States went further, voting against and calling the effort a 'radical ideological project'. Six countries, including Ukraine, Estonia and Lithuania, abstained.
The institutional point is that the UN General Assembly cannot compel anyone to change their maps. Its influence is normative: textbooks, UN publications, international organisations and technology firms may follow. The earlier Gall-Peters debate shows how slowly such change comes, and why Equal Earth was designed to be both accurate in area and pleasant to look at.
Map projections
Why every flat map distorts
In one line: A map projection is a mathematical method of showing the curved surface of the Earth on a flat surface, and every projection distorts something.
The four properties
A map can try to keep true area (sizes in correct proportion), shape (outlines look right), distance or direction. No flat map keeps all four true everywhere. Equal-area maps keep size; conformal maps keep local shape and angles.
The main families
Cylindrical projections wrap the globe in an imagined cylinder, as Mercator does. Conic projections use a cone and suit mid-latitude countries. Azimuthal projections project onto a flat plane touching the globe at one point, often a pole. Pseudocylindrical projections, such as Robinson and Equal Earth, curve the meridians to reduce distortion.
Why it is in the news
The UN resolution asks users to choose equal-area maps when size matters.
Where to go next
Mercator projection
The navigator's map that became the default
In one line: The Mercator projection, made in 1569 by the Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator, keeps compass directions true for navigators but greatly enlarges areas far from the Equator.
Why sailors loved it
On a Mercator map, a line of constant compass bearing is a straight line, so a navigator can plot a course with a ruler. Local shapes are also preserved.
The price
To achieve this, the map stretches areas more and more towards the poles. Greenland appears about as big as Africa, though Africa is about 14 times larger. Europe and North America also look larger than they are compared with regions near the Equator.
Why it is in the news
The UN resolution does not ban Mercator but asks that it not be the default where size matters.
Where to go next
Equal Earth projection
The equal-area alternative
In one line: Equal Earth is an equal-area pseudocylindrical world map projection created in 2018 by Bojan Šavrič, Bernhard Jenny and Tom Patterson.
What it does
Every region appears in its correct size relative to others, so Africa, South America and South Asia look as large as they really are compared with Europe or North America. Its curved sides and rounded shape, inspired by the Robinson projection, keep continents looking familiar.
Why it was made
Its creators responded partly to Boston Public Schools' 2017 adoption of the Gall-Peters projection, which is equal-area but stretches shapes badly near the poles. NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies produced the first known thematic map using it, of global temperature anomalies for July 2018.
Why it is in the news
The UN resolution names it as an example of the equal-area maps it encourages.
Where to go next
UN General Assembly
What its resolutions can and cannot do
In one line: The General Assembly is the UN's main deliberative body, where every member state has one vote, and its resolutions on most matters are recommendations rather than binding law.
How it works
All 193 UN members sit in the Assembly. Decisions on important questions, such as budgetary matters and the admission of new members, need a two-thirds majority of members present and voting; others need a simple majority. Unlike some decisions of the Security Council, its resolutions on matters like this one do not bind states.
Why it still matters
Assembly resolutions express the view of most of the world's governments and can shape norms, textbooks and the practice of international bodies. The 'Correct the map' resolution, adopted by 164 votes to 1, is an example of African states using this platform.
Where to go next
Take the 6 September 2026 quiz: 30 Prelims-style questions with answers