UN to vote on adopting new world map that shows Africa’s true scale

The UN General Assembly voted to adopt a map that more accurately shows the size of the continents. Only the United States voted against the measure, which projects the country as smaller than on traditional maps.

The Equal Earth projection shows countries’ true size relative to one another, unlike the centuries-old Mercator map, which critics say makes Africa look smaller than it is.

Over 160 countries have voted at the United Nations to move away from a traditional global map that is nearly 500 years old towards a newer one that more accurately reflects Africa's true size.

The widely-used Mercator map is often criticised for visually exaggerating and centralising Western nations.

The United Nations on Friday voted for a shift away from the 16th-century Mercator global map toward one more accurately reflecting countries' true size, a resolution sponsored by African states to counter perceptions that the continent is peripheral.

Togo-sponsored resolution calls to phase out traditional map that depicts continent as similar size to Greenland The UN general assembly will vote on Friday on a resolution for the world to formally phase out the traditional Mercator map of the globe in favour of one that more…