Africa has taken another step in its efforts to correct how the continent is represented on world maps. The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution calling for the promotion of map projections that more accurately reflect the true size of continents, including the "Equal Earth” projection developed in 2018.
The resolution received the support of 164 countries. The United States voted against it, while six other countries abstained. Led by Togo on behalf of the African Union, the initiative comes about a year after the pan-African organization adopted a similar resolution. It is part of the #CorrectTheMap campaign, backed by all African Union member states.
Correcting the Distortions of the Mercator Projection
At the heart of the initiative is the Mercator projection, which has been used for centuries and remains widespread in school textbooks, maps and various digital tools.
While this projection has the advantage of preserving angles and certain properties useful for navigation, it significantly distorts land areas, particularly as one moves farther away from the equator. Territories at higher latitudes therefore appear much larger than they actually are, while Africa visually appears smaller than its true size.
The Equal Earth projection, by contrast, seeks to represent the surface areas of continents in proportion to their actual size.
A Battle Over the Representation of Africa
For its advocates, the initiative goes beyond the technical issue of cartography. The way the world is represented can also influence geographical, economic and geopolitical perceptions.
Supporters of the campaign believe that a more accurate representation could have an impact on education, technology and public understanding, while helping to challenge long-standing perceptions of Africa’s place and weight in the world.
Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey described the issue as a scientific matter and called for a "change in the narrative” surrounding the representation of the African continent.
A Symbolic Step Forward
The resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly is not legally binding. Nevertheless, its adoption represents a symbolic victory for Togo and the African Union, which are seeking to reshape the way Africa is represented internationally.
Through this initiative, Lomé aims to bring to the global stage an issue long regarded as purely technical, but one that also touches on perceptions of Africa’s place in the world.