UN Resolution Backed Equal Earth Map Projection
The vote highlights a shift away from traditional Mercator distortions toward area-accurate global mapping.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Geography
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The United Nations passed a non-binding resolution endorsing the Equal Earth map projection, a 2018 cartographic model designed to represent landmass sizes accurately. The measure secured 164 votes in favor, with the United States casting the lone opposing vote.
Why it matters
The move seeks to correct visual misrepresentations and Eurocentric biases prevalent in the 1569 Mercator Projection, which inflates the size of regions near the poles. By adopting an area-accurate standard, proponents aim to better align global cartography with the actual geographic footprint of continents like Africa.
The Mercator Projection, still utilized by the Web Mercator system in Google Maps, historically distorts landmasses to maintain constant compass bearings. In contrast, the 2018 Equal Earth model preserves the true relative size of continents, showing, for instance, that Africa—which occupies 20 percent of global land—is 14 times larger than Greenland.
The players
United Nations
An international organization that coordinates global policy and serves as a forum for state resolutions.
Gerardus Mercator
A 16th-century cartographer whose 1569 projection became the standard for maritime navigation.
Google Maps
A digital mapping platform that currently employs the Web Mercator Projection for its global interface.
The details
The Equal Earth projection relies on a specific mathematical formula to calculate the shapes and sizes of continents on a flat surface, ensuring that areas are depicted in their true proportions. This departs from the 1569 Mercator Projection, which prioritizes navigation by preserving local angles at the expense of scale, causing landmasses near the poles to appear significantly larger than they are. The Mercator approach creates substantial visual bias, such as depicting Alaska five times larger than its actual relative size compared to Brazil.
Timeline
1541: Mercator created an original terrestrial globe.
1551: Mercator created an original celestial globe.
1569: Gerardus Mercator developed the Mercator Projection.
2018: Cartographers developed the Equal Earth map projection.
2100: Africa is projected to house the world's only growing population.
The Tech Race
The UN resolution marks a formal departure from the reliance on the 1569 Mercator Projection for visualizing the relative size of continents. It challenges the dominance of the Web Mercator standard, advocating for mathematically accurate area representation in modern digital and print cartography.
The resolution does not mandate an immediate shift for private tech companies or educational publishers, as the measure is non-binding. Users may observe the adoption of the Equal Earth model primarily in future updates to international organizational materials and public-facing reports.
The takeaway
This resolution signals a shift in how global institutions prioritize geographic accuracy over historical navigational convenience. Observers should track whether the Equal Earth projection is adopted by major mapping providers or integrated into future international educational curricula.
Further reading
Learn more about evolving standards in global representation in our Geography section.
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