UN backs true-size world map; US sole dissenter

Neutral summary

The UN General Assembly on September 4, 2026, adopted a resolution urging states, schools and tech companies to use equal-area map projections such as Equal Earth instead of the traditional Mercator projection, which has distorted the true size of continents for centuries. The initiative, led by Togo and backed by the African Union, passed with 164 votes in favor, the United States as the only country voting against, and six abstentions. The resolution does not ban the Mercator projection, designed in 1569, but aims to change how the world is depicted: on the new maps Africa appears far larger, while Greenland and North America shrink. Meanwhile, on Brazil’s Independence Day, September 7, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) released free access to a series of three world maps published between 2024 and 2026, all placing Brazil at the center of the image.

How it was framed

Outlets: 13. Countries: 8. Facts in the shared core: 6.

Publication timeline

1. 2026-09-06 20:12 · Agencia Brasil (outlet profile)

   IBGE disponibiliza a partir de amanhã mapas-múndi recentes. O Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) irá liberar, a partir de amanhã (7), Dia da Independência do Brasil, no site de sua loja, o acesso aos…

2. 2026-09-07 04:07 · La Dépêche (outlet profile)

   DÉCRYPTAGE. Pourquoi l'ONU veut redessiner la carte du monde et redonner sa vraie taille à l'Afrique. L’Assemblée générale des Nations unies a largement soutenu une initiative africaine en faveur de cartes respectant da…

3. 2026-09-07 05:00 · The Citizen (outlet profile)

   Correcting the map distortions. 'A fair map does not change the geography of the world; it changes how we see the world.'

4. 2026-09-07 05:16 · Российская газета (outlet profile)

   ООН поддержала инициативу африканских стран изменить карту мира. Генеральная Ассамблея Организации Объединенных Наций одобрила инициированное африканскими странами предложение изменить способ изображения мира на картах.…

5. 2026-09-07 08:08 · Sciences et Avenir (outlet profile)

   Une nouvelle carte, un nouveau regard sur le monde. Utilisée depuis le 16è siècle, la projection cartographique de Mercator donne une image faussée de la taille des continents. Adoptée par l'ONU le 4 sept…

6. 2026-09-07 10:00 · RT - Daily news (outlet profile)

   UN approves true-size Africa map with sole dissent. The UN has adopted a resolution promoting world maps that show Africa at its true relative size following objections to Mercator Read Full Article at RT.com

7. 2026-09-07 12:00 · Xataka (outlet profile)

   Hemos vivido 450 años con una imagen equivocada del tamaño de África. Un mapa a escala revela su verdadera y descomunal dimensión. Durante más de cuatro siglos hemos aprendido a reconocer el planeta mediante un mapa dis…

8. 2026-09-07 12:27 · Corriere della Sera (outlet profile)

   L'Onu vota a favore della modifica del planisfero. L'Onu vota a favore della modifica del planisfero

9. 2026-09-07 15:31 · Le Parisien (outlet profile)

   Du Groenland à l’Afrique, votre carte mentale du monde est-elle faussée depuis toujours ? Faites le test en huit questions

10. 2026-09-07 15:51 · Новая газета Европа (outlet profile)

    Мир не будет прежним. В сентябре 2026 года Генеральная Ассамблея ООН утвердила рекомендацию по переходу на новую карту мира. Основная цель — отказаться от картографической проекции, которая веками искажала реальные разм…

11. 2026-09-07 16:04 · Spektrum (outlet profile)

    Mercator versus Equal Earth: Warum die UN auf eine neue Weltkarte setzt. Die UN möchte Afrika so groß zeigen, wie es wirklich ist. Deshalb soll »Equal Earth« die Mercator-Projektion ersetzen. Doch eine perfekte Weltkart…

12. 2026-09-07 17:38 · G1 (outlet profile)

    Brasil no centro do mundo: IBGE libera série de mapas para download em celebração à Independência. Mapa-múndi Riqueza das Espécies com Brasil no centro. IBGE O IBGE liberou nesta segunda-feira (7), em celebração ao Dia…

13. 2026-09-07 19:46 · Metropoles (outlet profile)

    No 7/9, IBGE libera download de mapas com Brasil no centro do mundo. Em comemoração ao Dia da Independência do Brasil, IBGE lança mapas com o Hemisfério Sul em primeiro plano e o Brasil no centro do mundo

Factual core

• The Mercator projection distorts the relative sizes of continents.
• Equal Earth is a projection presented in 2018 by an international team of cartographers, designed to preserve the relative proportions of landmasses.
• The UN General Assembly approved an initiative by African countries to change the way the world is depicted on maps.
• In September 2026, the UN General Assembly approved a resolution recommending the use of equal-area maps like Equal Earth instead of the Mercator projection.
• The Mercator map, created by Gerardus Mercator in 1569, distorts the size of territories, making Greenland appear comparable to Africa, although Africa is about 14 times larger.
• The African initiative was supported by a large majority of UN member states.