Africa gets bigger, North America and Europe shrink as UN backs new world map

The UN General Assembly has backed wider use of the Equal Earth map, which shows continents in proportion to their actual surface areas. The non-binding resolution passed with 164 votes in favour, while the United States cast the only opposing vote. Six countries abstained.

New Delhi: The UN General Assembly on Friday backed a proposal to replace the widely used Mercator world map with a projection that more accurately represents the relative size of continents.

The resolution, introduced by Togo with support from the African Union, secured 164 votes in favour. The United States was the only country to oppose it, while six nations abstained. Under the Equal Earth projection, Africa appears substantially larger than on a Mercator map. Europe and North America appear smaller.

US criticises resolution

Washington sharply criticised the initiative and argued that the UN should focus on major global challenges instead of debating a map created in the 16th century. US representative Yaryna Ferencevych called such debates “the reason this institution is losing its credibility”. She alleged that the resolution promoted an “ideological agenda” linked to reparations and “cognitive justice”.

The African Union welcomed the vote as a........

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