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New world map: UN passes resolution to correct world map; India supports, US opposes

  New world map: The world may look a little different on school walls, classrooms and digital maps in the coming days. The UN General Assembly on Friday backed an African-led resolution calling for greater use of maps that show continents closer to their actual size.

The resolution, led by Togo and supported by the African Union, was passed by a vote of 164 to 1, with six countries abstaining. India voted in favour. The United States was the only country to vote against it. The resolution, called "Correct the Map", promotes maps with equal areas, such as the Equal Earth projection. These maps present a more accurate picture of the relative sizes of continents and countries.

At the center of this debate is the Mercator map, which was created by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569. It was designed primarily to help sailors navigate. But over the centuries, it has become one of the most popular ways to show the world—in classrooms, textbooks, in the media, and later on digital platforms.

The problem is that Mercator makes areas far from the Equator appear much larger than their actual size. For example, Greenland can appear almost as large as Africa on a Mercator map. In reality, Africa is about 14 times larger. Northern Europe and North America are also shown to be much larger than their actual area, compared to countries and continents closer to the Equator.

However, for African countries it is not just a question of how the map works. "Maps shape our understanding of the world," said Togo's Foreign Minister Robert Ducey before the vote.
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