UN votes to adopt new world map reflecting Africa's true size
The United Nations has voted to adopt a new world map intended to more accurately show the true size of the African continent. The move follows longstanding criticism of the widely used Mercator projection.
The United Nations has voted to adopt a new world map designed to more accurately represent the true size of the African continent.
The decision comes amid longstanding criticism of the Mercator projection, the map format long used in classrooms, navigation and media around the world. Critics argue that the Mercator map visually exaggerates and centralizes Western nations, while diminishing the apparent size and prominence of other regions, including Africa.
Criticism of the Mercator projection
The Mercator map remains one of the most widely recognized and used world map projections. However, it has faced sustained criticism from geographers, educators and activists who say the projection distorts public perception of the relative sizes of different regions of the world.
The UN's vote to adopt an alternative map is seen as an effort to correct this visual distortion and promote a more accurate geographic understanding on the international stage.
