UN adopts new world map showing Africa's true size

The United Nations announced this week the adoption of a revised world map that enlarges the continent of Africa to more accurately reflect its true geographic dimensions. The decision, made at a special session of the UN General Assembly, follows a long‑standing critique of the Mercator projection, which has been the standard in many textbooks and atlases since the 16th century and consistently inflates the size of high‑latitude regions while shrinking those near the equator. The new map employs an equal‑area projection that preserves the relative surface area of all continents, allowing Africa’s landmass—approximately 30 million square kilometres—to be displayed at a scale comparable to that of Europe, South America and North America.

Cartographers note that while equal‑area projections correct size distortion, they can introduce shape distortion, making familiar coastlines appear stretched or compressed. Alternative projections such as the Gall‑Peters and the Mollweide each balance area accuracy against visual familiarity in different ways, and no single map can perfectly preserve both area and shape. The UN’s choice reflects a broader effort to improve geographic literacy and to counter misconceptions that have persisted in education and media; the updated map will be incorporated into official UN publications and made available to member states for use in schools and diplomatic materials.