UN votes to promote map showing Africa's true size, moving away from 16th-century Mercator projection

Source Summary

The United Nations voted on Friday to support a shift from the 16th-century Mercator map projection toward one that more accurately represents countries' true sizes. The resolution was sponsored by African states seeking to counter perceptions that the continent is peripheral. The Mercator projection distorts the relative sizes of landmasses, particularly enlarging northern regions while diminishing Africa's apparent scale.