The United Nations General Assembly is voting this Friday on a resolution that proposes the progressive abandonment of the traditional world map based on the Mercator projection, replacing it with a representation more faithful to the true size of Africa. The initiative is sponsored by Togo and has the support of the remaining 54 member states of the African Union, according to the Togolese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Robert Dussey, quoted by The Guardian.
The Mercator projection was created in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator and is the most widely used representation of the world today. However, this projection distorts the dimensions of continents, making Africa and other regions appear smaller than they actually are relative to areas such as Europe and North America.
The project proposes the adoption of the Equal Earth projection as an alternative. This representation was developed in 2017 and shows the real proportions of continents in a more balanced way, especially with regard to the size of Africa, which on the Mercator map appears visibly smaller than its actual geographic area.
Minister Robert Dussey argues that the issue goes beyond cartography, emphasizing that the more accurate representation of Africa will contribute to a more correct perception of the continent and its true dimensions in the global context.
