United Nations, Sep 4 (EFE).- The United Nations General Assembly adopted on Friday a resolution, spearheaded by Togo, to adopt a world map that more accurately reflects the size of the continents, particularly Africa, which for centuries has appeared disproportionately small.
The resolution promotes the gradual phasing out of the Mercator projection, used since 1569, in favor of models such as “Equal Earth,” designed in 2018, which represent the surface area of the continents more accurately.
164 countries voted in favor; only the United States opposed the resolution, while six other countries abstained.
The United States said the resolution promoted an «ideological agenda» and was a distraction from the «genuine problems of international peace, prosperity or good relations».
Although the resolution does not prohibit the use of the Mercator projection, it calls on the UN and agencies such as UNESCO to switch to the “Equal Earth” projection.
Furthermore, it urges Member States, international organizations, and other entities to adopt and promote this design.
Togo’s Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey, told the General Assembly that the map projections used in academic textbooks, the media, digital platforms, and various official documents do not accurately reflect the actual surface area of the continents.
“For several centuries, certain cartographic projections that are used in school textbooks, media, digital platforms, and many official documents do not accurately reflect the true extension of our continents,” Dussey said.
“Their use for general information or for educational purposes continues to influence the perception that entire generations have about the world. And the persistence of these distortions in maps has caused throughout time significant consequences. It has contributed to symbolically minimizing the size of Africa as well as other regions,” he added.
For the Togo minister, “correcting the map means choosing fidelity to the fact, means recognizing that every region of the world deserves to be represented accurately and with dignity.”
“It means transmitting to future generations a fairer, more balanced and more realistic image of the world, he added.” EFEasg/mcd
