UN backs effort to depict Africa correctly on maps despite US opposition
The United Nations has largely endorsed an African-led resolution to promote maps that accurately reflect the true scale of continents, moving away from the distorting Mercator projection.
Intelligence analysis by Gemini 2.5 Flash
The UN adopted a non-binding resolution advocating for the Equal Earth projection to correct cartographic distortions, particularly regarding Africa's size, which appears smaller on traditional Mercator maps. This move, framed as an act of "cognitive justice," faced opposition from the United States and abstentions from several European nations.
Imagine you have a big orange, and you try to flatten its peel onto a table. Some parts will stretch and look bigger than they really are, especially near the top and bottom. That's kind of what old maps do to countries, making places like Africa look smaller than they actually are compared to countries far north. The UN just voted to use new, fairer maps that show countries their real size, so everyone can learn about the world more accurately.
Analysis
The recent United Nations resolution, largely endorsed despite notable opposition, marks a significant moment in the ongoing discussion about cartographic accuracy and its broader implications. The initiative, spearheaded by African nations, seeks to challenge the pervasive influence of the 16th-century Mercator projection, which has long been the standard for world maps. This projection, while useful for navigation due to its preservation of compass bearings, severely distorts the relative sizes of landmasses, particularly those further from the Equator. The resolution explicitly calls for the promotion of alternative projections, such as the Equal Earth projection, which offer a more accurate representation of continental sizes. This push is not merely about geographical precision but is deeply rooted in principles of justice and equitable representation, aiming to correct historical visual biases.
Gerardus Mercator
Gerardus Mercator, a Flemish cartographer, devised the world's most commonly used map projection in 1569. His innovation was revolutionary for its time, providing sailors with a practical tool for navigation by allowing them to plot courses using straight lines. However, the Mercator projection inherently distorts the size of landmasses, making areas closer to the poles appear disproportionately larger than those near the Equator. This distortion has led to a widespread misconception about the true scale of continents, particularly Africa, which appears significantly smaller than its actual size when compared to Northern Hemisphere countries like Greenland or Russia. The historical dominance of this projection has thus embedded a particular visual hierarchy into global consciousness, which the UN resolution now seeks to address.
Equal Earth projection
The non-binding resolution specifically advocates for the promotion of the so-called Equal Earth projection. This alternative projection is designed to correct the cartographic distortions inherent in the Mercator map, ensuring that landmasses are depicted in their true relative sizes. The adoption of such a projection, particularly in educational settings like schools, is seen as a crucial step towards fostering a more accurate and equitable understanding of the world's geography. Proponents argue that this shift is not just about technical accuracy but about achieving "cognitive justice and memorial reparation," acknowledging and rectifying historical imbalances in how different parts of the world have been visually represented. The move aims to empower a generation with a more truthful visual understanding of global proportions.
Robert Dussey
Robert Dussey, Togo's foreign minister and the lead negotiator on behalf of the African group, played a pivotal role in championing this resolution. He articulated the core sentiment behind the initiative, stating that "A fair map does not change the geography of the world," but rather corrects its representation. Following the resolution's adoption, Dussey celebrated the decision on X, emphasizing its broader significance beyond mere cartography. He framed it as a matter of "justice, dignity, equality and the way we represent our world." His leadership underscores the African continent's proactive stance in addressing historical inequities and advocating for a more balanced and respectful global perspective, challenging long-held Eurocentric biases in cartography and education.
Key points
- The UN largely endorsed an African-led resolution to promote maps that accurately depict continental sizes.
- The resolution aims to move away from the 16th-century Mercator projection, which distorts landmasses, making Africa appear smaller.
- The United States was the only country to vote against the initiative, calling it part of a "radical ideological project."
- Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine abstained from the vote.
- The non-binding resolution promotes the Equal Earth projection and frames the correction of distortions as an act of "cognitive justice and memorial reparation."
The UN's endorsement of the resolution could lead to a global shift in cartographic standards, promoting more accurate and equitable representations of continents, especially in educational materials. This could foster a more informed and just understanding of global geography, contributing to "cognitive justice" and correcting historical biases.
Despite the UN's backing, the opposition from the United States and abstentions from several European nations suggest potential resistance to widespread adoption of the Equal Earth projection. This division could limit the resolution's practical impact, leading to continued use of distorting maps in many regions and hindering the goal of universal "cognitive justice."
