NEW WORLD MAP

THE UN VOTE · SEPTEMBER 2026

The New World Map

The UN General Assembly backed equal-area world maps that show Africa and other regions in their correct relative proportions. Compare Equal Earth with Mercator below.

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY · 4 SEPTEMBER 2026

The vote put fairer world maps on the global agenda.

The resolution encourages Equal Earth and other equal-area projections when relative size matters. It does not ban Mercator or change borders. Read what changed

Vote
164–1
Africa vs Greenland
≈14×
Legal effect
Recommendation

LINKED REGION MODE

One place. Two projections.

The interactive version keeps the selected region, geographic centre and zoom synchronized across both projections.

Mercator and Equal Earth maps normalized around Africa
Mercator preserves local angles while Equal Earth preserves relative area. Both views use the same boundary dataset.

THE MAP AT A GLANCE

Mercator and Equal Earth, side by side.

Africa is held to the same visual area in both maps, so the projection differences elsewhere are easier to judge. The interactive comparison above lets you inspect individual countries and territories.

Mercator and Equal Earth world maps side by side with Africa highlighted in red
Equal Earth preserves relative area; Mercator preserves local angles.Compare the projection trade-offs

Mercator and Equal Earth, linked

Both maps share a geographic centre and zoom factor. Screen footprint measures projected display area; the separately labelled geodesic estimate measures the area enclosed by the displayed boundary on a spherical Earth.

The true size of Africa

Africa covers about 30.37 million km², roughly fourteen times Greenland’s 2.17 million km². Equal Earth makes that relative area visible, while Mercator enlarges high-latitude regions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the new world map?

It is a popular name for renewed use of equal-area world maps such as Equal Earth, not a change to geography or borders.

Did the UN ban Mercator?

No. The September 2026 General Assembly resolution encourages equal-area maps when relative size matters; it does not prohibit Mercator.

Why does Africa look bigger?

Equal Earth keeps area proportional. Mercator enlarges high-latitude regions, making equatorial Africa look smaller by comparison.

Is Equal Earth accurate in every way?

No flat world map is. Equal Earth preserves relative area but still distorts some shape, distance and direction.