UN adopts world map showing Africa’s scale more accurately
The UN General Assembly voted to move away from the Mercator world map toward a projection that represents continents’ relative sizes more accurately. Togo sponsored the resolution, which received support from 164 countries; the United States cast the only opposing vote. Critics say the traditional projection exaggerates and centres Western countries while diminishing Africa.
Why it matters
The decision changes how the UN visually represents geographic scale and responds to a longstanding African campaign.
Sources
finite. summarises the reporting above and links to each original. We do not reproduce full articles. Read the sources for complete coverage.
Part of the September 5, 2026 brief.