NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – On Friday, the United Nations General Assembly passed an international resolution advocating for more precise and equitable portrayals of continent sizes on world maps. The resolution, supported by 107 member states through a recorded vote, tackles cartographic distortions that tend to significantly diminish the perceived size of Africa and other equatorial regions across the Global South. UN approves measure to improve global map accuracy as diplomatic bodies undertake formal steps to correct longstanding biases inherent in traditional cartographic methods.
The resolution specifically addresses the widespread use of the Mercator projection, created in the 16th century by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator for navigation at sea. Although useful for maritime travel, the projection’s mathematical scaling exaggerates the size of landmasses farther from the equator while compressing those near it. The United Nations General Assembly’s documentation indicates that these distortions persist in modern textbooks, news broadcasts, digital mapping services, and government publications worldwide.
Delegates at the assembly recognized that cartographic inaccuracies extend beyond technical issues into wider socioeconomic and cultural spheres. They highlighted that visual misrepresentations influence public understanding of the economic, political, and cultural importance of entire continents. The UN’s resolution supports the adoption of equal-area alternatives, such as the Equal Earth projection introduced in 2018, which accurately depicts continent sizes relative to one another.
UN Approves Move to Correct World Map Size Distortions
The decision follows a campaign led by African nations and backed by the African Union, which submitted the draft resolution in August. Supporters stressed that traditional maps often depict landmasses like Greenland as similar in size to Africa, despite Africa being fourteen times larger, leading to serious geographical misconceptions. Reports from the Emirates News Agency emphasized that correcting these visual imbalances is vital for establishing fair geographic education worldwide.
Under the approved resolution, international agencies are directed to develop technical standards for cartography. The assembly urged the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization along with the United Nations Development Programme to collaborate with academic and geospatial experts. Their goal is to establish updated cartographic guidelines to help member states and media outlets transition towards equal-area projection systems for both public and private use.
UN Educational Bodies Responsible for Creating Accurate Geospatial Standards
While promoting voluntary shift to equal-area mapping, the resolution is non-binding and does not prohibit the continued use of the Mercator projection or require private tech companies to alter proprietary software. Instead, it encourages member states to embed key cartographic principles into primary and secondary education programs. Educational authorities are urged to raise awareness among students, scientific organizations, and publishers about the perceptual biases caused by different map projections.
Monitoring groups comprising international cartography and geospatial policy organizations will oversee the implementation of the UN resolution as educational institutions update textbook standards. Updates to digital mapping standards are expected to be reviewed at upcoming international geospatial management summits. Official records of assembly votes and technical projection guidelines remain accessible through UN registry portals.