World
CROSS-SPECTRUMBROAD COVERAGE
UN votes to replace Mercator map with equal-area projection championed by Africa
The UN General Assembly will vote on a resolution to retire the Mercator projection and adopt the Equal Earth map, a proposal backed by Togo and all African Union members.
The UN General Assembly approved a resolution to replace the traditional Mercator map with a version that more accurately reflects Africa’s dimensions, with 164 countries voting in favor and the United States opposing.
How this was covered
- Right-leaning outlets covered this 7h later
- Right-leaning coverage is the most divided on this story
- Coverage peaked at 6 outlets in a single hour
Why it matters
A change to the world map could reshape education and public perception of continent sizes.
How this story developed
- Sep 4 UN votes to replace Mercator map with Africa-accurate projection
- Sep 4 The UN General Assembly scheduled a vote on the resolution.
In this story
UN resolutionMercator projectionEqual Earth mapcartographic biasAfrica size distortion#CorrectTheMapmap reformRobert DusseyJJ Enoch
