UN votes to adopt map that shows Africa's true size
UN General Assembly votes for non-binding resolution to replace Mercator projection with Equal Earth map that accurately sizes Africa.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The United Nations General Assembly has voted to adopt a new world map that corrects the long-standing distortion of Africa's size. The non-binding resolution, proposed by Togo, was backed by nearly all member states, with only the United States voting against.
The traditional Mercator projection, in common use since the 16th century, makes landmasses near the poles appear much larger than they are. Critics say this has made Africa look comparable in size to Greenland, when in fact Africa is many times bigger. Reports vary on the exact figure, with some saying 14 times larger and others citing 12 times.
The new map is based on the Equal Earth Projection, created in 2018 by a team of cartographers including Tom Patterson, a former senior cartographer for the U.S. National Park Service. It shows all countries and continents at their true relative sizes, giving a more balanced view of the planet.
Speaking after the vote, Patterson said he was delighted by the outcome. He described the Mercator map as a "grotesque distortion" and said the new map gives everyone, particularly those in the global south, a more accurate sense of where they live.
The resolution is not enforceable, but it could encourage schools and governments to adopt the new map. The UK voted in favour, while the US was the only country to vote against. Patterson said he was disappointed by the US position.
Supporters argue the change is about authenticity and correcting a historic wrong. The Equal Earth Projection was named for what it does rather than its creators, which Patterson hopes will help it gain traction where other equal-area maps have failed.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News gave the story the most detailed treatment, including a live interview with Tom Patterson, co-creator of the Equal Earth Projection. The focus was on the map's accuracy, the distortion of the Mercator projection, and the importance of correcting that distortion for the global south. The tone was informative and balanced, with Patterson expressing disappointment at the US vote.
- “Obviously, I'm delighted.”
- “It's a grotesque distortion of the world.”
- “I just gives everyone a more balanced and accurate view of the world.”
ITV treated the story as a brief final news item, just over a minute long. It presented the basic facts: the UN vote, the number of countries in favour, and the visual comparison between the Mercator and Equal Earth maps. The tone was simple and factual, with no interview or analysis.
- “how we see the world might be about to change.”
- “You see the Mercator map, which you can see on the left, and that has been in common use since the 16th century, shows Africa as being of similar size to Greenland, even though it is actually 14 times bigger.”
GB News covered the story as part of a panel discussion, with a more conversational and light-hearted tone. The focus was on the historic wrong being corrected, the fact that only the US voted against, and the non-binding nature of the resolution. There was some joking about school learning being wrong, but the panel did stress the importance of authenticity for the global south.
- “My story is about the United Nations correcting a historic wrong”
- “The only country to vote against was, you guessed it, the USA.”
- “It's just representing authenticity.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.