New York: The United Nations General Assembly has backed an Africa-led campaign to replace the widely used Mercator world map with a projection that more accurately represents the relative size of countries and continents. The resolution, sponsored by African states and led by Togo, passed on Friday by a vote of 164-1, with six abstentions. The United States was the only country to vote against it.
According to TRTworld.com, Togo's Foreign Minister Robert Dussey stated that the initiative aims to challenge perceptions created by a map that significantly distorts the size of land masses, particularly those near the poles. "A fair world begins with a fair map," Dussey told Reuters ahead of the vote. The Mercator projection, created in the 16th century, expands the apparent size of land masses as they move towards the poles, making regions like Greenland appear comparable in size to Africa, despite Africa being about 14 times larger.
The UN resolution promotes the Equal Earth projection, designed to represent continents' relative areas more accurately. While the measure is not legally binding and does not seek to eliminate Mercator for navigation, Togo's Foreign Ministry acknowledged that the projection remains appropriate for maritime and aerial navigation. The campaign reflects broader African efforts to address what Togo describes as the lingering influence of colonial-era representations.
"This is not against Europe, it is not against any other civilisation," Dussey said, arguing that the widespread use of Mercator is partly linked to the legacy of colonisation. Togo plans to become the first country to replace Mercator-based geography materials in its schools, with the government aiming to update its textbooks by the end of the year. "In the classroom, we need to change it to give an example to all the countries in the world," Dussey explained.
In addition to updating educational materials, Togo plans to encourage other governments, schools, international organisations, and technology companies to adopt Equal Earth and other more accurate alternatives. Over the next six months, the country intends to engage African Union members and supporters from other regions to expand adoption, including discussions with companies involved in mapping, GPS, and other location-based technologies.
The United States opposed the resolution, describing it as promoting an ideological agenda and distracting from what it called more pressing issues involving international peace, prosperity, and relations. For Togo, however, the debate transcends cartography. "The world is changing. Africa also is changing," Dussey stated.