United Nations Adopts New World Map Emphasizing Africa’s True Size
The United Nations is adopting a new world map to better represent the true size of Africa, sparking a discussion on the accuracy of different global map projections.
South Bend Elkhart, IN, September 6, 2026 —
The United Nations has initiated the adoption of a new world map designed to more accurately depict the vast scale of Africa. This development is prompting broader conversations regarding the inherent distortions in various global map projections and their impact on public perception of geographical size.
Traditional world maps, often based on projections like the Mercator projection, have long been criticized for significantly underrepresenting the landmass of equatorial regions, particularly Africa. This projection, developed in the 16th century, was created for navigational purposes and preserves local shape and angle, but it notoriously distorts areas further away from the equator, making them appear much larger than they actually are relative to countries closer to the poles.
The UN’s move signals an effort to rectify these long-standing visual discrepancies. While specific details regarding the exact projection being adopted by the United Nations were not provided in the initial summary, the stated intention is to offer a more geographically accurate representation of continental sizes. This change aims to reflect the reality that Africa, despite often appearing smaller on many widely used maps, is the second-largest continent by land area, covering approximately 11.7 million square miles and encompassing over 50 countries.
The adoption of such a map is expected to foster a renewed public awareness and discussion about cartography and the ways in which maps can shape understanding of the world. Experts in geography and cartography have often highlighted how different map projections serve different purposes and can convey distinct, sometimes misleading, impressions of global geography. The choice of projection is therefore not merely an academic exercise but can influence perceptions of political power, economic potential, and demographic distribution based on perceived land area.
The decision by the UN is anticipated to encourage a wider dialogue on how maps are used in education, media, and policy-making, potentially leading to the increased use of more equitable and accurate cartographic representations in the future. The specific timeline for the full implementation of the new map across all UN platforms was not disclosed.
Story summarized from the original created by SignalNews Network on www.bbc.co.uk, see more information here.
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