UN votes to adopt new world map that reflects Africa’s true size
The United Nations has adopted a resolution to promote the Equal Earth map projection, aiming to correct the historical size distortion of the African continent found in the traditional Mercator map. The resolution, led by African Union states, seeks to address colonial-era biases in global education and policy.
Why it matters
This shift challenges long-standing cartographic representations that have historically minimized the perceived importance and scale of the Global South.
The widely-used Mercator map is often criticised for visually exaggerating and centralising Western nations.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info People stand beside a sculpture of the African continent at the Place du Souvenir Africain in Dakar, Senegal on September 3, 2026 [File: Misper Apawu/Reuters] By Mariamne Everett , AFP and Reuters Published On 4 Sep 2026 4 Sep 2026 The United Nations has voted to adopt a new world map that more accurately reflects countries’ true sizes, a resolution sponsored by African states to right a centuries-old wrong.
The “Correct the Map” resolution adopted by the UN general assembly on Friday aims to address a colonial-era injustice that has visually shrunk Africa for 450 years, shaping how the continent is perceived in media, education and policy around the world.
Also covering this story
8 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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