The United Nations General Assembly approved this Friday a historic resolution that will change the way we see the world map. The reign of more than 450 years of the Mercator projection comes to an end, which is the representation of the world used for centuries and that distorts the real size of the continents.
The resolution was approved by the United Nations body, marking an important moment in world cartography. This change represents a significant update in the way the world is visually represented.
The Mercator projection, developed in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator, has been the standard representation used in schools, navigation and official documents for centuries. However, critics point out that this projection exaggerates the size of territories such as Europe and North America, while minimizing Africa and South America.
With this approval, the new cartographic representation is expected to offer a more balanced and accurate view of the real proportions of the continents and countries of the planet.
