UN General Assembly to Vote on Equal-Area World Map Showing Africa’s True Scale
The UN General Assembly is due to vote on September 4 on a Togo-sponsored resolution urging a shift away from the Mercator projection toward maps that represent Africa’s area more accurately.
In short
- The UN General Assembly is due to vote on September 4 on a Togo-sponsored resolution urging a shift away from the Mercator projection toward maps that represent Africa’s area more accurately.
The United Nations General Assembly is scheduled to vote on Friday, September 4, 2026, on a resolution calling for the traditional Mercator world map to be phased out in favor of an equal-area projection that more accurately represents Africa’s size.
Togo is sponsoring the measure with backing from African Union member states. The AU endorsed the broader #CorrectTheMap campaign in August 2025 and asked Togo to lead efforts to promote its adoption internationally.
The Mercator projection was introduced in 1569 as a navigation aid. Its geometry enlarges land masses at high latitudes and compresses areas closer to the equator. One familiar effect is that Greenland appears comparable in size to Africa, although Africa is about 14 times larger.
Supporters are promoting the Equal Earth projection, developed by an international group of cartographers in 2018. They argue that a more accurate visual representation could improve public understanding and influence maps used in education, technology and government.
A General Assembly resolution would not be legally binding. If adopted, however, it could strengthen efforts to update school materials and digital mapping practices. Togolese officials are also planning an event in Lomé with UNESCO, the African Union and technology companies in early 2027 to discuss implementation.
