For centuries, the world map hanging in classrooms, printed in atlases, and reproduced across media has shaped how we see the planet. But what happens when the map itself gives us a distorted picture of the world? A recent decision at the United Nations has brought this question back to the centre of global geography and cartography.
A Historic Shift in World Cartography
In September 2026, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed a resolution encouraging the use of the Equal Earth projection, a world map projection designed to represent the relative sizes of landmasses more accurately than the traditional Mercator projection. The initiative, strongly supported by African countries and led by Togo, reflects a growing recognition that maps are not merely technical representations of the Earth—they also shape perceptions of geography, power and global importance.
The resolution received overwhelming international support, with 164 countries voting in favour, six abstaining and the United States voting against. Importantly, the resolution is not legally binding and does not mean that the Mercator projection will disappear overnight. Instead, it encourages governments, educational institutions and international organisations to reconsider which world maps they use and why. [Reuters]
For geographers, GIS professionals and mapmakers, this development is more than a symbolic political decision. It is an important reminder of one of the fundamental principles of cartography: every map projection involves compromise.
The Problem with the Mercator Map
The Mercator projection was developed by Gerardus Mercator in 1569. It was a remarkable innovation for its time, particularly because it preserved angles and directions, making it extremely useful for maritime navigation.
However, the Mercator projection has a major limitation: it significantly distorts the size of landmasses as one moves away from the Equator.
Countries and regions located closer to the poles appear much larger than they actually are. Greenland, for example, often appears comparable in size to Africa on a Mercator world map. In reality, Africa is approximately 14 times larger than Greenland.
Similarly, countries in Europe and North America may appear disproportionately large compared with countries and continents located closer to the Equator.
This does not mean that the Mercator projection is a “wrong” map. It simply means that it was designed for a specific purpose: navigation rather than accurate representation of area.
That distinction is crucial.
Why Africa Looks Smaller Than It Really Is
Africa is the world’s second-largest continent, covering more than 30 million square kilometres. Yet on the familiar Mercator world map, Africa often appears considerably smaller than its actual geographical size.
The visual effect can be powerful.
A continent that is geographically enormous may appear less dominant on a map, while regions closer to the poles appear disproportionately large. Critics of the Mercator projection argue that these distortions have influenced how generations of people have perceived the relative importance and scale of different parts of the world.
This debate has become closely associated with the “Correct the Map” movement, which argues that maps influence not only geographical understanding but also cultural and political perceptions.
The recent UN decision therefore represents an attempt to promote a more geographically proportional representation of the world—particularly in educational and institutional contexts.
[Al Jazeera]
What Is the Equal Earth Projection?
The Equal Earth projection was introduced in 2018 by cartographers Bojan Šavrič, Tom Patterson and Bernhard Jenny.
It is an equal-area map projection, meaning that the relative areas of continents and countries are represented more accurately.
Unlike the Mercator projection, Equal Earth does not dramatically enlarge landmasses near the poles. Africa, South America and other regions closer to the Equator therefore appear closer to their true proportional size relative to other land areas.
The Equal Earth projection was also designed to be visually appealing and recognisable. Its overall appearance resembles many familiar world maps while using curved meridians to reduce some of the distortions associated with rectangular projections.
The projection does not eliminate distortion entirely—because it is mathematically impossible to flatten the curved surface of the Earth onto a flat map without distorting something. However, Equal Earth prioritises the preservation of area, making it particularly useful for global thematic maps and educational purposes.
A Map Is Never Just a Map
One of the most important lessons from this debate is that maps are not neutral windows through which we simply observe the world.
A map is a representation.
Every cartographer must make choices about:
- Projection
- Scale
- Orientation
- Symbolisation
- Classification
- Generalisation
- Colour
- What information to include or exclude
These decisions influence how people interpret geographical information.
For example, a Mercator projection is excellent for navigation because it preserves local angles and directions. An equal-area projection is more suitable when comparing the size of countries, forests, population distribution or agricultural land.
Similarly, an azimuthal projection may be useful for analysing distances and directions from a particular location.
Therefore, the most important question is not:
Which world map is completely correct?
Instead, the better question is:
Which map projection is appropriate for the purpose of the map?
This is a fundamental principle of GIS and cartography.
What Does This Mean for GIS Professionals?
For GIS users, the UN’s endorsement of the Equal Earth projection should encourage a broader discussion about projection selection.
In GIS, map projections are often selected automatically or based on convenience. However, projection choice can significantly affect spatial analysis and visual interpretation.
When working with global datasets, GIS professionals should carefully consider the purpose of the map.
Use an appropriate projection for the task:
Mercator Projection
- Navigation
- Direction and angle preservation
- Web mapping applications in certain implementations
Equal Earth Projection
- Global thematic mapping
- Comparing the relative sizes of countries and continents
- Educational maps
- Environmental and global development maps
Local Coordinate Systems
- Large-scale mapping
- Engineering
- Urban planning
- Accurate distance and area calculations within specific regions
The key principle is simple:
There is no universally perfect map projection. There are only projections that are more appropriate for particular purposes.
A New Opportunity for Geography Education
Perhaps the most significant impact of the UN decision may be in education.
For generations, students around the world have grown up looking at the Mercator world map. Many have unconsciously developed their understanding of the size and geographical importance of countries based on this visual representation.
Introducing alternative projections such as Equal Earth can encourage students to think critically about maps.
Instead of simply memorising locations, geography education can ask more important questions:
- Why does this country look larger on one map than another?
- What does a map projection preserve?
- What does it distort?
- Who decides which map becomes standard?
- How do maps influence our perception of the world?
These questions are particularly relevant in an era of digital mapping and GIS.
The Future of World Maps
The UN’s endorsement of the Equal Earth projection does not mean the end of the Mercator map.
Nor should it.
The Mercator projection remains valuable for specific purposes, particularly navigation. However, the decision signals a growing recognition that the map we choose should match the message we want to communicate.
For global education, development, environmental studies and comparative mapping, the Equal Earth projection offers an important alternative because it represents the relative size of land areas more fairly.
The discussion also reminds us that cartography is constantly evolving.
Maps are not static.
As our geographical knowledge, technology and understanding of representation change, so too should our approach to mapping.
Sources
[BBC News – UN and the changing world map debate]
[Al Jazeera – UN votes to adopt new world map that reflects Africa’s true size]
[The Guardian – UN votes to adopt new world map that shows Africa’s true scale]
[YouTube video – World map and Equal Earth projection discussion]
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