The United Nations has voted to replace the current world map with a new one following backlash from campaign groups criticising the widely used map as "cartographic colonialism". The advocacy, led mainly by African countries, sought to replace the Mercator map with a new one called the Equal Earth projection, which the General Assembly has accepted.
Origins of the Mercator Map
Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator designed the centuries-old Mercator map to help European navigators while travelling by sea. The distorted map makes countries near the equator appear smaller, whilst countries nearer the poles are drawn larger. Critics have argued that it reflects Western assumptions about the world by making Africa appear smaller, even though it is significantly larger than other parts of the world.
Campaigners added that the map has a psychological effect by making some places look smaller than they are and others larger, as bigger things are viewed as more important.
Support for the Resolution
A supporter of the change, Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey, told news agency Reuters: "A fair world begins with a fair map." He told a UN briefing on Friday: "A map is never neutral. It shapes perceptions, influences how the place of peoples and continents in the world is understood."
The "Correct The Map" resolution sponsored by Togo and backed by members of the African Union passed with 164 member states voting in favour. Only the US voted against it while Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine abstained.
Impact and Reactions
The Mercator projection is not banned due to the passing. However, governments and institutions are encouraged to use the Equal Earth projection.
Geographers say the map is only useful for navigation and that "outside of that very narrow navigation application, there is no point in using it," according to Mark Monmonier, a Syracuse University professor of geography.
US representative at the UN, Yaryna Ferencevych, claimed that the resolution mocked the work and purpose of the UN General Assembly. She said: "Instead of focusing on genuine problems of international peace, prosperity, or good relations, this body is debating map projects from the 16th Century, and their role in promoting reparations and 'cognitive justice'."
The US also criticised the UN's resolution that declared the transatlantic slave trade as "the gravest crime against humanity" earlier this year.
