United Nations Adopts New Map Reflecting Africa's True Size
The UN General Assembly approved a new world map resolution aimed at accurately depicting the continent's true geographical size.
The United Nations General Assembly voted to adopt a new world map that will reflect Africa's geographical size much more accurately compared to traditional maps.
Adoption of the Resolution
The "Correct the Map" resolution, spearheaded by Togo and supported by African Union members, received broad acceptance in the United Nations General Assembly.
Voting Results
While the resolution was approved with the support of 164 countries, including France and the United Kingdom, the United States was the sole country to vote against it, with six abstentions.
Impact of the Map Change
This non-binding United Nations vote will pave the way for changes to be made in maps used by various institutions around the world.
Criticism of the Mercator Map
The Mercator map, widely used since the sixteenth century, has long been criticized because it depicts Africa as being similar in size to Greenland, whereas it is actually fourteen times larger.