UN Set to Consider Map Change Showing Africa at Its True Scale

The United Nations General Assembly will vote on Friday on a resolution calling for the traditional Mercator world map to be phased out in favor of a design that presents Africa’s size more accurately, according to The Guardian World. The proposal is sponsored by Togo and backed by the African Union’s other 54 member states, according to Togo’s foreign affairs minister, Robert Dussey. He did not provide a total number of sponsoring countries. Introduced by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, the projection was designed to help sailors navigate. It remains widely used in education, technology and governance, but its design greatly enlarges areas near the poles while making regions close to the equator appear smaller. On a Mercator map, Africa can appear similar in size to Greenland. In reality, Africa is 14 times larger than the Danish territory. The source also notes that the continent could contain the United States, China, India, Japan, Mexico and much of Europe, with land remaining. Togo’s #CorrectTheMap campaign is promoting the 2018 Equal Earth map, an equal-area design developed by an international team of cartographers. The 1973 Gall-Peters map has also been used as an alternative to Mercator. Historians, geographers and activists have criticized the traditional projection for reinforcing Western-centered perceptions. Some campaigners describe the effect as “cartographic colonialism,” arguing that the map visually minimizes Africa and other equatorial regions while enlarging northern countries. The Guardian also reported that some analysts connect the campaign with African nations’ efforts to gain greater influence over how the continent is represented internationally. A United Nations resolution would not be legally enforceable. If approved, however, it could encourage changes to classroom curricula and the maps used in everyday technology and official settings. The African Union endorsed the campaign in August 2025 and asked Togo to lead its adoption effort. Togo is planning an event in Lomé during the first quarter of next year with Unesco, the African Union and technology companies including Google Maps to discuss implementation.