The United Nations General Assembly has backed an African led campaign to move away from the centuries old Mercator map projection, endorsing a map that more accurately represents the true size of the world’s continents. The resolution, sponsored by Togo and supported by other African states, passed on Friday by 164 votes to one, with six countries abstaining. The campaign is being driven by concerns that the Mercator projection, developed in the 16th century, has distorted perceptions of the relative size and importance of countries, particularly in Africa.
The Mercator projection enlarges land masses as they approach the poles. As a result, Greenland can appear comparable in size to Africa on commonly used world maps, despite Africa being about 14 times larger.
“A fair world begins with a fair map,” Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey told Reuters ahead of the vote.
The UN resolution promotes the Equal Earth projection, which was developed to provide a more accurate representation of the relative size of continents while retaining a familiar world map format.
The resolution is not legally binding and does not seek to prevent the continued use of the Mercator projection for maritime or aerial navigation. Togo’s Foreign Ministry said the projection remains suitable for those purposes. The United States was the only country to vote against the resolution, arguing that it advanced what it described as an “ideological agenda” and diverted attention from what it regarded as more pressing international concerns, including peace, prosperity and relations between countries.
For Togo, however, the vote represents the beginning of a broader campaign to change how the world is visually represented, particularly in schools. Dussey said Togo plans to replace Mercator based geography materials in its schools by the end of the year, making it the first country to formally change its geography textbooks as part of the initiative.
“Togo will be the first country to change our own geography books,” Dussey said.
“In the classroom, we need to change it to give an example to all the countries in the world.”
The Togolese government intends to use its own education system as a starting point before encouraging other governments, schools, international organisations and technology companies to consider adopting the Equal Earth projection. Dussey said Togo plans to engage African Union member states and supporters from other regions over the next six months to develop a strategy for wider adoption of the alternative map.
The discussions are also expected to extend beyond printed textbooks. Dussey said companies involved in mapping, GPS and other location based technologies would need to be part of the conversation if the campaign is to achieve widespread change.
The initiative forms part of a broader African effort to challenge the continuing influence of colonial era legacies. Dussey stressed, however, that the campaign was not intended as an attack on Europe or any other civilisation. Instead, he argued that the widespread use of the Mercator projection reflects historical patterns that have shaped how the world has been presented for centuries.
The debate over maps is ultimately a debate over perception. While projections are designed for different practical purposes and all involve some degree of distortion, the African campaign argues that the maps used in classrooms should provide children with a more proportionate understanding of the world’s geography.
“The world is changing. Africa also is changing,” Dussey said.
