UN General Assembly adopts majority vote to correct the world map
New York, Sept 4 (KUNA) -- The United Nations General Assembly today, Friday, adopted by majority vote a resolution calling for the correction of world maps, the restoration of balance to global cartographic representation, and the promotion of fair depiction of regions, particularly the African continent. The resolution, introduced by Togo, received the support of 164 countries, with the United States voting against it and six countries—Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine—abstaining.
The General Assembly affirmed in its resolution that inherited distortions in the representation of continental sizes on maps entail cognitive, educational, cultural, geopolitical, social, and economic consequences, noting that addressing historical biases in this field would enhance justice and development, particularly for Africa. It pointed out that the widely used Mercator projection distorts the sizes of continental masses located far from the equator, thereby reducing the relative size of Africa and other regions compared to their actual areas. It further stated that the Equal Earth projection, by contrast, provides a more accurate representation of continental sizes, considering it a suitable option for improving the accuracy of global cartographic representation.
The Assembly encouraged member states, international organizations, and relevant stakeholders to adopt, disseminate, and use the Equal Earth cartographic projection and other equal-area map projections that more accurately represent the actual areas of continents, especially where their sizes are of significant importance. Togo led the negotiations on the draft resolution on behalf of the African Group, under an initiative supported by the African Union.
The Mercator projection dates back to 1569, when it was invented by the Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator for maritime navigation purposes. While it helped sailors determine their routes using compass directions, it exaggerates the areas of regions the farther they are from the equator. (End) A.S.T./R.J.
