What's happened
164 member states have backed a resolution encouraging a shift away from the Mercator projection toward the Equal Earth map, praised for better geographic accuracy. The measure stops short of mandating change, but aims to broaden adoption in education, media and policy discussions.
What's behind the headline?
Key angles
- The U.N. is nudging institutions to adopt a more accurate map projection without enforcing a ban on Mercator. This could influence textbooks, online platforms and government briefings.
- The measure reflects broader debates about how information shapes perception and policy, especially in education and geopolitics.
- Several countries hailed the move as a step toward truth in representation, while critics question practical implications for navigational needs.
Potential consequences
- Schools and media may begin integrating Equal Earth more widely, increasing awareness of geographic proportionality.
- Some experts warn that a gradual shift could create transitional confusion as audiences adjust to new visuals.
- The debate could intensify discussions about decolonizing maps and the politics of knowledge.
What to watch
- Whether major publishers start piloting Equal Earth in curricula and outlets.
- Any formal deadlines or timelines attached to broader adoption.
- Responses from countries that rely on historical mapping systems for navigation and engineering.
How we got here
The resolution, sponsored by Togo and backed by the African Union, follows long-running advocacy by Africa No Filter and other groups calling for more accurate world maps. Proponents argue the Mercator projection distorts land sizes, particularly shrinking Africa relative to Greenland. The United Nations says the move is about improving representation, not eliminating the Mercator entirely.
Our analysis
New York Post reports on the UN resolution, quoting Togo’s Foreign Minister and Africa No Filter. The Independent, AP News, and others carry similar language, underscoring the non-binding nature of the resolution but highlighting the call for broader use of Equal Earth. Direct quotes from officials appear across outlets to illustrate international reception.
Go deeper
- Should schools begin piloting Equal Earth in science and geography classes?
- What are the practical challenges for large publishers transitioning to a new projection?
- Will navigational industries adjust to a new standard or maintain Mercator for certain tasks?
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Togo - Country in West Africa
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It is one of the least developed countries in the world. It extends north from the Gulf of Guinea (where its capital, Lomé, is located) to the Burkina Faso-Togo border. It is a small, tropical country, spanning 57,000 square kilometres (22,000 square miles) with a population of approximately 8 million. It has a width of less than 115 km (71 mi) between Ghana and its eastern neighbour Benin. Various people settled the boundaries of present-day Togo between the 11th and 16th centuries. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, the coastal region served primarily as a European slave trading outpost, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name "The Slave Coast". In 1884, during the scramble for Africa, Germany established a protectorate in the region called Togoland. After World War I, Togo was transferred to France with its contemporary borders. Togo gained independence from France in 1960. In 1967, Gnassingbé Eyadéma led a successful military coup d'état and became president of an anti-communist, single-party state. In 1993...
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Ukraine - Country in Europe
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast.
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Syracuse University - Private university in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse University is a private research university in Syracuse, New York. The institution's roots can be traced to the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded in 1831 by the Methodist Episcopal Church in Lima, New York.
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United States - Country in North America
The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.
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Africa - Continent
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.3 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area and 20% of its land area.
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Georgia - Country
Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaija
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Lithuania - Country in Europe
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. Lithuania is one of the Baltic states. The country is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, to the southeast of Sweden and Denmark.
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Serbia - Country in the Balkans
Serbia, officially the Republic of Serbia, is a landlocked country situated at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe in the southern Pannonian Plain and the central Balkans.
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Greenland - Territory
Greenland is the world's largest island, located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
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United Nations General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, serving as the main deliberative, policy-making, and representative organ of the UN.
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France - Country in Europe
France, officially the French Republic, is a country consisting of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories.
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Estonia - Country in Europe
Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by
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Moldova - Country in Europe
Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The capital city is Chișinău.
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Mercator projection - Cylindrical map projection invented by Gerardus Mercator in 1569
The Mercator projection is a conformal cylindrical map projection first presented by Flemish geographer and mapmaker Gerardus Mercator in 1569.