UN Resolution Endorses Equal Earth Map

A United Nations General Assembly resolution backed by 164 countries, with the United States voting against and six countries abstaining, supports moving away from the Mercator projection toward maps that portray continental areas more accurately, such as Equal Earth or Eckert IV. The Mercator map makes northern regions appear disproportionately large and Africa dramatically too small, shaping perceptions of global importance and power. Supporters, led by African states including Togo, describe the change as a matter of equitable representation and educational fairness, while critics and some abstaining countries have raised concerns about how alternative maps depict disputed territories and borders. France said it would adopt the Eckert IV projection for diplomatic uses, underscoring that mapmaking involves political choices as well as technical trade-offs involving area, shape, distance and direction. The broader debate also includes politically contested place names, including current President Donald Trump’s orders to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and Lake Ontario as Lake America, changes that some technology companies adopted for U.S. users but others rejected.