Breaking
ISRO Hot-Tests CE20 Cryogenic Engine for Upcoming LVM3-M7 and Gaganyaan Missions Centre Proposes Unique Elected Body Under Article 371 for Ladakh, Rules Out Full Statehood Policy Shift in Guwahati: Unlicensed EV Autos Face Strict Document Verification Drive India Beat Bangladesh by 40 Runs to Reach Women's T20 Asia Cup Final Major Navya Shekhawat Becomes First Woman Indian Army Officer Appointed as President's Aide-de-Camp ISRO Hot-Tests CE20 Cryogenic Engine for Upcoming LVM3-M7 and Gaganyaan Missions Centre Proposes Unique Elected Body Under Article 371 for Ladakh, Rules Out Full Statehood Policy Shift in Guwahati: Unlicensed EV Autos Face Strict Document Verification Drive India Beat Bangladesh by 40 Runs to Reach Women's T20 Asia Cup Final Major Navya Shekhawat Becomes First Woman Indian Army Officer Appointed as President's Aide-de-Camp
MinuteBrief logo
World Editor's Pick

The World Map Is Changing: UN Adopts New Projection for Accurate Country Sizes

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to replace the traditional Mercator map projection—in place for nearly 457 years—with an equal-area world map projection to accurately represent the true geographical scale of nations.

Nilakshi Barman | | 2 min read

The World Map Is Changing: UN Adopts New Projection for Accurate Country Sizes
AI generated image | Minutebrief Team

In Brief:

  1. The UN General Assembly voted 164–1 in favor of the "Correct the Map" resolution to promote equal-area cartographic representation.
  2. The United States was the sole nation to vote against the resolution, with six countries abstaining.
  3. Introduced in 2018, the Equal Earth projection depicts landmasses in accurate proportions, showing Africa as 14 times larger than Greenland.
  4. The resolution encourages educational institutions, media, and publishers to adopt equal-area maps, though it does not legally ban the Mercator map or alter borders.

The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on September 4, 2026, to endorse the "Equal Earth" world map projection, taking a major diplomatic step away from the traditional Mercator projection first created in 1569. Spearheaded by Togo on behalf of the African Group under the "#CorrectTheMap" initiative, resolution A/80/L.104 passed by a margin of 164–1, with the United States voting against and six nations abstaining.

While the Mercator map preserved accurate direction for marine navigation, its severe distortion visually enlarged polar landmasses—making Greenland appear roughly equal in size to Africa, despite Africa being 14 times larger. UN officials and diplomats emphasized that while the resolution does not impose a legally binding ban or alter political borders, it serves as an international endorsement for schools, media outlets, and international bodies to utilize projections that reflect accurate geographical scale.

More from World