United Nations Map Decision
The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution for global institutions to transition from the Mercator projection to the Equal Earth projection.
With a new resolution adopted at the United Nations General Assembly, the transition process from the 450-year-old Mercator map projection to the Equal Earth projection has officially begun.
Voting at the United Nations
The United Nations General Assembly voted and adopted the Correct the Map resolution draft at the session held on September 4, 2026.
In the vote, 164 member states voted in favor, and the decision received widespread support at the international level.
Countries Behind the Resolution
Prepared under the leadership of African Union states, this important initiative was brought to life with the active participation of countries such as Togo and the Bahamas.
It aims for global institutions to achieve fairer representation in map usage.
US Stance on the Decision
During the vote, the United States stood as the only country to cast a negative vote against the resolution.
American officials described this decision as an ideological agenda.
History of the Mercator Projection
Created in 1569 in line with the navigation needs of European sailors, the Mercator map had remained in use for centuries.
This projection showed regions close to the poles much larger than they actually were while shrinking areas close to the equator.
Continental Size Contradictions
The distortions created by the old map system led, in particular, to continents like Africa not being adequately represented on a global scale.
With the new Equal Earth projection, landmasses are aimed to be shown much closer to their true sizes.