On 4 September 2026, the United Nations General Assembly passed a Togo-sponsored resolution with 164 votes to adopt a new world map that accurately represents Africa's true geographic scale. The U.S. was the only nation to vote against the resolution, which phases out the 500-year-old Mercator projection that visually exaggerates Western nations.
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Togo-sponsored resolution calls to phase out traditional map that depicts continent as similar size to Greenland The UN general assembly will vote on Friday on a resolution for the world to formally phase out the traditional Mercator map of the globe in favour of one that more accurately displays Africa’s size. Robert Dussey, Togo’s foreign affairs minister, said the resolution was sponsored by To
The Togo-sponsored resolution was backed by 164 nations - the US the only nation to vote against it.
The widely-used Mercator map is often criticised for visually exaggerating and centralising Western nations.
Over 160 countries have voted at the United Nations to move away from a traditional global map that is nearly 500 years old towards a newer one that more accurately reflects Africa's true size.
The U.N. has backed a new map showing Africa in its true relative size, with the U.S. standing alone in opposition.
The U.N. has backed a new map showing Africa in its true relative size, with the U.S. standing alone in opposition. n.pr/4cq8Sdp
UN adopts new world map that shows Africa’s true scale, US only country to vote against ‘superfluous’ resolution