UN General Assembly votes to replace Mercator map with Equal Earth projection

The UN General Assembly voted on Friday to replace the traditional Mercator world map with the Equal Earth projection. The resolution was sponsored by Togo and supported by African Union countries. It passed with 164 votes in favour. Only the United States voted against it.

The Mercator map has been used since the 16th century, but it shows Africa as roughly the same size as Greenland. In reality, Africa is 14 times larger. The Equal Earth projection, created in 2018, shows all continents at their correct proportional sizes.

The African Union backed the new map in August 2025 and asked Togo to lead the campaign, called #CorrectTheMap. The resolution encourages governments and institutions around the world to switch to the Equal Earth projection.