The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted 164 to 1 on September 6, 2026, to adopt a resolution promoting the Equal Earth projection as an alternative to the Mercator projection. This resolution aims to address the distortion in the representation of countries, particularly in Africa, which is often understated in traditional maps. The Mercator projection, designed in the 16th century for European maritime navigation, significantly exaggerates the size of regions further from the equator, such as Europe and North America, while minimizing the size of Africa, Latin America, and South Asia.
The resolution was led by Togo on behalf of the African Group, which consists of 54 African Union member states, and encourages educational institutions and technology companies to adopt the Equal Earth projection. The United States was the only country to vote against the resolution, labeling it a “radical ideological project,” while several countries, including Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Ukraine, abstained from voting.
US representative Yaryna Ferencevych criticized the resolution, stating it detracts from more pressing issues. The resolution is nonbinding and does not prohibit the use of the Mercator projection but advocates for a broader adoption of the Equal Earth projection. Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey emphasized the importance of maps in shaping education and perception, asserting that the resolution reflects African reality. The African Union had previously adopted the Equal Earth projection in March, and Togo plans to hold a meeting in Lome next year with UNESCO and technology companies to discuss implementation.
The Mercator projection, created by cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, preserves angles and straight bearings, which was beneficial for navigation but has led to misconceptions about the relative sizes of countries. In contrast, the Equal Earth projection aims to preserve true area, allowing for more accurate comparisons of continent sizes.