05/09/2026
UN adopts new world map — US votes no
NEW YORK — The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted on September 4, 2026, to adopt a new world map that shows Africa's true size.
The resolution titled "Correct the Map: Rebalancing global cartographic representation" was spearheaded by several African countries and sponsored by Togo, with backing from the African Union.
VOTE RESULT:
164 countries voted YES
1 country voted NO — United States
6 abstained — Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine
The new map uses the Equal Earth projection, which preserves the true area of continents. It replaces the 16th-century Mercator projection created in 1569 for navigation, which distorts sizes — making Greenland appear as big as Africa, when in reality Africa is 14 times larger than Greenland (30.4 million km²).
According to Togo's Foreign Minister Robert Dussey: "A fair world begins with a fair map." He said the Mercator map is a consequence of colonization and makes Africa look peripheral.
The resolution is NOT legally binding and does not challenge Mercator use for maritime and aerial navigation.
The US, the lone NO vote, said the resolution promotes an "ideological agenda" and distracts from genuine problems.
Togo announced it will be the first country to change its school geography books by end of this year and will push tech companies, schools, and international organizations to adopt Equal Earth.
VERIFIED • CREDIBLE • BALANCE
