UN adopts new world map showing Africa’s true scale

Photo — Marina Leonova / Pexels

According to major international outlets, the United Nations General Assembly has approved a resolution to adopt a new official world map that shows Africa’s true scale relative to other continents, moving away from traditional projections that depict the continent as roughly the same size as much smaller territories like Greenland.[5][7][13] The initiative was led by Togo and supported by a broad coalition of African and Global South nations, who argued that conventional maps have reinforced historical power imbalances and distorted perceptions of African geography and importance.[7][13] Reports indicate that 164 countries voted in favor, with the United States casting the lone vote against the change, highlighting geopolitical divisions over symbolic efforts to revise global cartographic standards.[5][13] While the resolution does not immediately replace all existing maps, it sets a new benchmark for UN usage, educational materials, and international institutions, and is being framed by supporters as part of a wider push to decolonize knowledge systems and visual representations of the world.[7][13] The story is drawing significant global attention because it combines diplomatic maneuvering at the UN with a highly visible shift in how billions of people may come to see the planet and Africa’s place on it.[5][7][13]

Sources: CNN, BBC, TheGuardian