Africa gets bigger, North America smaller as UN adopts new world map; US says ‘focus on genuine problems’
The UN General Assembly has voted to adopt the 'Equal Earth' map projection to better represent the relative size of continents, a move that increases the prominence of Africa. The United States voted against the resolution, arguing that the UN should prioritize more pressing global issues.
Why it matters
The vote highlights a tension between symbolic efforts toward 'cognitive justice' and the practical focus on geopolitical and humanitarian crises.
The United Nations General Assembly voted Friday to adopt a new world map that aims to present the relative size of continents more accurately. The move gives Africa greater prominence while reducing the apparent size of North America and Europe, prompting opposition from the United States.The resolution received support from 164 countries. The United States voted against it, while six other states abstained, news agency AFP reported.The map, known as the Equal Earth cartographic projection, is intended to improve "the accuracy of the cartographic representation of the world," according to the resolution.
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