By Team Solution Wire | September 2026 | UN Map Controversy Explained
The map we have seen since childhood - in school books, on classroom walls, and in atlases - does not show the world as it actually is. In that famous map, Greenland and Africa look almost the same size.
But the truth is completely different. Africa is almost 14 times bigger than Greenland in terms of area. The continent we thought was small on the map is actually one of the largest in the world. Now, this issue of correcting the map has reached the United Nations.
What Happened in the United Nations?
The United Nations General Assembly has now supported a new proposal. This proposal appeals to all countries and international institutions to use maps like Equal Earth Projection more often, instead of the old Mercator Projection.
This proposal was brought by the West African country Togo and it received strong support from all 55 member countries of the African Union. The campaign for this change is called "Correct The Map".
Why is Our Current Map Wrong? The Story of 1569
To understand this problem, we need to go back 450 years. The year was 1569. At that time, there were no aeroplanes, no satellites, and no digital mapping.
Sea routes were the only way for long-distance travel and trade. A Flemish cartographer named Gerardus Mercator created a new type of map. This map made it very easy for sailors to find direction in the sea using straight lines. This became famous as the Mercator Projection.
Mercator's main aim was not to show the correct size of countries. His aim was to show the correct direction for navigation. The Earth is round, but a map is made on a flat paper. Mercator designed his map in such a way that it was perfect for navigation at that time. For sailors, it was a great technical achievement.
What is the Flaw in the Mercator Map?
Imagine the Earth as a ball. You cannot flatten a ball completely on a paper without stretching or cutting it. When you try to do that, some distortion is bound to happen.
In the Mercator map, the biggest distortion is in the area. As you move away from the Equator and go towards the North Pole or South Pole, the land appears more stretched on the map.
Because of this:
This is why the Mercator map is good for navigation, but it is not good for understanding the real size of countries.
What is the Equal Earth Map? The Solution
The Equal Earth Projection was developed in 2018. Its main purpose is to show the size of different continents and countries in the correct ratio.
This map is also not 100 percent perfect, because no flat map can perfectly show a round Earth. But its focus is on showing the correct area ratio instead of showing the perfect direction.
On this new map, Africa appears much larger, which is close to its real size. Greenland appears much smaller. Europe and North America also appear smaller than they did on the old map.
It is important to note that no country has actually become bigger or smaller. Only the way of showing it on paper has changed.
Why is This More Than Just a Geography Issue?
African countries say that maps are not just pieces of paper. When a child starts to learn about the world, a map is one of the first visual tools he sees.
If a continent is always shown smaller than its real size, it can create a particular mindset about the world. People may start thinking that some regions are more important because they look bigger on the map.
Togo's Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey, said that maps influence our understanding of the world. They shape our education, our imagination, and our collective thinking.
There is also a historical angle. The Mercator map became popular at a time when European naval powers were expanding across the world through trade and colonialism. Critics argue that showing Europe and North America bigger on the map also created a sense of dominance.
Why Did the USA Oppose It and What Did India Say?
India also reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are sovereign territories of India and must be shown according to the official map of India. Any wrong or misleading depiction will not be accepted by India.
Will Google Maps Change From Tomorrow?
No. The UN General Assembly proposal does not put a legal ban on the Mercator Projection. It only encourages governments and institutions to use Equal Earth-like projections more for educational purposes.
The Mercator map will continue to be used, especially for navigation, where its direction accuracy is needed.
The real change, if it comes, will be slow. It will come in school textbooks, geography classes, atlases, reports of international institutions, and on digital platforms where correct area representation is more important.
The Final Truth: Changing the map does not change the geography of the world. Africa's GDP will not suddenly increase, and it will not get an extra seat in the UN. But the way we see the world can definitely change.
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