By Peter Emmanuel |
The United Nations General Assembly has adopted the “Correct the Map” resolution aimed at promoting fairer and more accurate cartographic representation of Africa and other regions of the world.
The resolution, sponsored by Togo on behalf of the African Group, was adopted on Friday with 164 countries voting in favour, while one country voted against and six abstained.
The initiative seeks to encourage the wider use of map projections that more accurately represent the relative sizes of continents and regions, particularly in education, public communication and geographical literacy.
The African Union Commission welcomed the adoption, describing it as a significant step towards ensuring that Africa is represented according to its actual geographical size.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, also commended Togo and African countries for their role in mobilising support for the resolution.
AU Hails Togo’s Leadership on ‘Correct the Map’ Initiative
Youssouf particularly praised the leadership of Togo and its President of the Council, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, for championing the initiative on behalf of Africa.
He also congratulated AU member states and the African Group in New York for their unity and mobilisation during the negotiations and adoption of the resolution.
The AU Commission Chairperson said the decision marked an important development in efforts to promote more accurate representations of Africa and other regions of the world.
The resolution does not alter national borders or territorial status but focuses on how geographical areas are represented on maps.
The AU Commission said it would continue working with Togo, member states and other partners to support efforts aimed at implementing the initiative.
Mercator Projection Criticised for Distorting Africa’s True Size
The campaign centres on the widely used Mercator projection, which was developed in the 16th century mainly for navigation.
The projection preserves direction but distorts the relative size of landmasses, particularly those located farther from the Equator.
Africa is one of the regions most affected by the distortion, with the continent appearing much smaller relative to northern regions on conventional Mercator maps. In reality, Africa is about 14 times larger than Greenland.
The African Union said the issue goes beyond cartography, arguing that the way geographical areas are represented can influence how people understand the world and its regions.
The resolution therefore promotes greater consideration of equal-area projections that provide a more accurate comparison of the actual sizes of continents and other regions.
AU Urges Wider Use of More Accurate World Maps
Youssouf encouraged international institutions, educational systems, publishers and digital platforms to progressively adopt cartographic representations that better reflect the actual areas of the world’s regions.
He said the move should help improve geographical education and public understanding of the relative size of continents.
The AU Commission said the initiative also provides an opportunity for African institutions to promote representations that are based on objective and scientifically established realities.
The resolution is not a legally binding requirement for countries to abandon the Mercator projection or adopt one specific alternative, but it encourages the use of more accurate projections where the relative size of land areas matters.
The African Union said it would continue collaborating with Togo, member states and relevant partners to support the implementation of the initiative and promote a more accurate representation of Africa on maps.
Share this
