New Delhi: The world could be heading towards a major change in how global maps are presented after the United Nations General Assembly backed an initiative aimed at correcting distortions in the way continents and countries are shown.
The “Correct the Map” resolution, led by African Union member states and the Bahamas, received support from 164 countries. Six nations abstained, while the United States was the only country to vote against the proposal.
The initiative challenges the widespread use of the Mercator projection, a map design developed by European cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569. The projection remains particularly useful for navigation because it preserves directions, but it significantly distorts the apparent size of landmasses located farther from the Equator.
Greenland provides one of the most striking examples. On a Mercator map, the island can appear comparable in size to Africa. In reality, Africa is approximately 14 times larger than Greenland, while Greenland is closer in area to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Supporters of the UN initiative argue that these distortions are more than a technical issue. They believe conventional maps can influence how people perceive the geographical, economic and political importance of different regions, particularly Africa, Latin America and South Asia.
The campaign gained momentum after the African Union adopted the Equal Earth projection in March. Togo subsequently encouraged UN members to consider the approach, leading to discussions before the General Assembly vote.
The resolution also encourages digital mapping platforms to explore the use of projections that represent land areas more accurately. Such a shift could eventually influence how millions of people view the world through online maps, educational material and other digital platforms.
