05/09/2026
UN General Assembly adopts new world map that shows Africa's true size
The resolution, which was sponsored by Togo and backed by members of the African Union, was passed with 164 member states voting in favour. Only the United States voted against it while six other countries — Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine — abstained.
The Mercator projection shows Greenland and Africa as appearing to be about the same size whereas in the Equal Earth projection that shows continents in their true proportions, Africa is 14 times larger than Greenland.
Maps shape our understanding of the world,” the global body quoted Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey as saying before the vote. “They guide education, nourish the imagination, and influence collective perceptions.”
The United Nations General Assembly on Friday endorsed a new world map that reflects Africa's size more accurately. The resolution, sponsored by Togo, was passed with 164 member states voting in favour. The US voted against.