UN General Assembly Encourages Adoption of Equal Earth Map Projection; U.S. Opposes Resolution
The United Nations General Assembly recently passed a resolution encouraging countries to adopt the Equal Earth projection for world maps, which more accurately represents the relative sizes of continents. This non-binding resolution, sponsored by Togo and supported by African nations, aims to correct visual distortions present in the widely used Mercator projection, where landmasses appear disproportionately larger the further they are from the equator. For instance, Africa, which is 14 times larger than Greenland, appears roughly the same size on a Mercator map. The resolution garnered 164 votes in favor, with six abstentions. Notably, the United States was the sole country to vote against the resolution, characterizing it as a 'radical ideological project.' This move by the UN seeks to promote a more truthful understanding of global geography, particularly in educational contexts, by highlighting the trade-offs inherent in depicting a spherical Earth on a flat surface.
