UN’s New World Map: These 5 Continents Are Actually Bigger Than You Think, Changes How We Travel

For generations, the world map many of us grew up looking at has shaped how we imagine the size of countries and continents. But there is a problem: the familiar Mercator projection does not accurately represent the relative size of land masses. Areas closer to the equator, including much of Africa and South America, appear smaller, while regions closer to the poles can look disproportionately large.

Now, the United Nations General Assembly has backed a resolution encouraging countries and institutions to use the Equal Earth projection, which represents the relative area of continents more accurately. The resolution passed with 164 countries voting in favour, while the US voted against and six countries abstained. It is not a legally binding

order to replace every map, but it could influence how maps are used in education, institutions and technology.

For travellers, the change offers an interesting reminder: some of the places we think we know the size of may be very different from what we see on a conventional world map. Here are 6 destinations and regions that put that geographical illusion into perspective.

Africa

Africa is perhaps the biggest surprise. On a traditional Mercator map, Africa can appear surprisingly similar in size to Greenland. In reality, Africa covers around 30.3 million square kilometres, while Greenland is about 14 times smaller.

For travellers, this matters because “travelling to Africa” is hardly a single visit. A safari in Kenya, a holiday in Morocco, a trip to South Africa and a beach escape in Zanzibar involve enormous geographical distances and vastly different landscapes and cultures.

South America

South America is another region whose scale can be underestimated on conventional maps. The continent covers roughly 17.8 million square kilometres, while Latin America as a whole spans around 20 million square kilometres. That means travelling across South America can involve journeys on a completely different scale from what a quick glance at a world map might suggest.

From the Amazon rainforest and the beaches of Brazil to Patagonia, the Andes and the historic cities of Peru and Colombia, the continent offers an enormous geographical canvas. For travellers planning a multi-country South American itinerary, the map is a useful reminder to look beyond the number of countries and consider the actual distances between them.

India

South Asia may not look particularly large on many world maps, but the region is home to a vast geographical and cultural landscape. The region covers around 5.1 million square kilometres and includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, among other areas. It is also home to roughly a quarter of the world’s population.

For travellers, the difference is easy to appreciate when comparing the landscapes within India alone — from the Himalayas and Rajasthan to Kerala, the Northeast and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Australia

Australia is another destination where size can be deceptive. Oceania covers roughly 8.5 million square kilometres, with Australia accounting for most of that area. That scale is one reason an Australian holiday can mean very different things depending on the itinerary. Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Cairns and Uluru are not simply different stops on a compact route — they can involve significant distances and very different landscapes.

Europe 

Europe is another region whose apparent size can be misleading. The continent covers around 10.2 million square kilometres, considerably smaller than Africa, which covers about 30.3 million square kilometres. Yet on many familiar world maps, Europe appears visually much larger in comparison.

This matters when looking at international travel through a geographical lens. Europe may contain dozens of countries within a relatively compact area, making multi-country trips feasible in a way that is often much harder across larger continents.

What The New Map Means For Travellers

The UN-backed move is not about changing the physical size of any country or continent. Africa was always this big; Greenland was always this size. What changes is the way we represent them.

The Equal Earth projection, developed in 2018 by cartographers Bojan Šavrič, Tom Patterson and Bernhard Jenny, is designed to preserve the relative surface areas of continents while keeping their shapes reasonably recognisable. And that could make us think differently about travel.

A map is often the first thing we look at when imagining a destination. It influences how we understand distance, plan routes and mentally group countries together. Seeing the world with a more accurate sense of scale is therefore more than a geography lesson — it can also be a reminder that travel distances are often much bigger than they appear on a screen.