UN votes to endorse new map projection that shows Africa's size more accurately

Updated on: September 6, 2026 / 8:30 AM EDT

/ CBS/AP

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The United Nations General Assembly on Friday endorsed a new world map that represents Africa more accurately in its larger size, a culmination of a recent campaign led by African countries and advocacy groups.Friday's resolution, which was sponsored by Togo and backed by members of the African Union, was passed with 164 member states voting in favor. Only the U.S. voted against it while six other countries - Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine - abstained.The vote encourages governments and institutions around the world to replace the traditional Mercator map, commonly used since the 16th Century, with the Equal Earth projection that advocates and geographers say shows locations more accurately.

Graphic of the Equal Earth map, which adjusts the sizes of various countries to represent their size more accurately