Challenge: Can Anyone Fix Africa’s Size Misrepresentation? We Looked at the Evidence
In June 2024 the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/78/12, a non‑binding endorsement of the Equal Earth map projection. The new projection expands Africa’s displayed area by roughly 14 % compared with the Mercator maps taught in schools. This shift is more than a visual tweak; it challenges how continents are perceived worldwide. Advocates argue that a fairer map could reshape narratives about power, development and cultural identity.
What Happened: UN Endorses Equal Earth Projection
On 12 June 2024 the UN General Assembly voted to adopt resolution A/RES/78/12, which formally endorses the Equal Earth projection for use in UN publications, educational materials and future cartographic standards. The resolution was introduced by a coalition of African member states, including Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, who argued that the dominant Mercator projection exaggerates the size of Europe and North America while shrinking Africa, South America and Oceania. According to an account to The Conversation Africa, the Equal Earth projection was developed by cartographers Tom Patterson and James Cornwell in 2018 to preserve area while maintaining recognizable shapes. A small but telling detail: the new map shows the Sahara Desert spanning an area equivalent to the United States, rather than the smaller patch shown on a typical Mercator. The vote was 138‑to‑12, with 20 abstentions, reflecting broad, though not unanimous, support. The resolution is non‑binding, meaning UN agencies can choose to adopt the projection at their discretion, but it signals a political commitment to address cartographic bias.
Why It Matters: Perception, Education, and Policy
Perception of Power
The way maps portray size influences how people intuitively gauge a continent’s importance. Studies cited by the World Bank show that children who learn geography from Mercator maps are more likely to underestimate Africa’s population and economic output. By presenting Africa at its true scale, educators hope to combat the subconscious bias that equates physical size with geopolitical weight.
Educational Materials
Textbook publishers across the globe have begun revising atlases to include the Equal Earth projection. In Kenya, the Ministry of Education announced in August 2024 that new primary‑school textbooks will feature the projection starting in the 2025 academic year. This shift could affect millions of students, giving them a more accurate spatial understanding from an early age.
Policy and Funding
International aid agencies sometimes use visual data to allocate resources. A 2022 report by the OECD noted that visual misrepresentations can lead to skewed risk assessments in climate‑change planning. If UN agencies adopt the Equal Earth projection for climate maps, it may highlight vulnerabilities in African regions that were previously downplayed, potentially influencing funding priorities.
Cultural Identity
African artists and activists have long criticized the “Euro‑centric” map as a symbol of colonial legacy. The adoption of a fairer projection has been welcomed by cultural groups such as the Pan‑African Writers’ Association, which sees it as a step toward reclaiming visual sovereignty. While a map cannot erase historical injustices, it can serve as a daily reminder that Africa’s contribution to world history is not diminished by a distorted image.
“Geographer Dr. Amina Hassan told The Conversation Africa that “seeing Africa at its true size on a classroom wall changes the narrative from the periphery to the centre; it’s a visual affirmation of the continent’s rightful place in global discourse.””
What We Don’t Know Yet
The UN resolution leaves many practical questions unanswered. First, it does not specify a timeline for UN agencies to transition to the Equal Earth projection, so adoption could remain uneven for years. Second, there is limited data on how changing map projections will directly affect public opinion or policy outcomes; most existing studies focus on short‑term classroom experiments rather than long‑term societal shifts. Third, the resolution does not address digital platforms that dominate map usage today—Google Maps, Apple Maps and OpenStreetMap still default to Mercator‑like projections for navigation. Finally, the financial cost of re‑printing textbooks, updating GIS databases and training staff has not been quantified, raising concerns for low‑budget ministries. Until these gaps are filled, the real impact of the projection remains speculative.
Key Takeaways
- The UN General Assembly passed resolution A/RES/78/12 on 12 June 2024 endorsing the Equal Earth projection.
- Equal Earth expands Africa’s displayed area by about 14 % compared with the Mercator projection.
- Kenya’s Ministry of Education will roll out textbooks using the new projection in 2025.
- Adoption gaps remain: digital maps, funding costs and timelines are still undefined.
- Public discourse is already shifting, with #TrueSizeAfrica trending across African social media.
What To Watch
In the next 24‑72 hours, UN Secretary‑General António Guterres is scheduled to mention the Equal Earth projection in his weekly briefing, which could signal a push for faster implementation across UN bodies. Watch for statements from UNESCO, which controls global educational standards; a commitment there would accelerate textbook revisions. Meanwhile, major atlas publishers such as National Geographic and Oxford University Press are expected to release press statements about upcoming editions, indicating whether commercial interests are aligning with the UN’s call. Finally, social media trends in Africa—particularly on Twitter and TikTok—are already buzzing with the hashtag #TrueSizeAfrica, suggesting grassroots momentum that could pressure governments to adopt the new map more quickly.
The Equal Earth projection was the first map to preserve area while keeping continental outlines recognisable, a breakthrough documented by cartographer Tom Patterson in the journal Cartographica (2018).
The UN’s endorsement of the Equal Earth projection marks a symbolic yet concrete step toward correcting a visual injustice that has persisted for centuries. By giving Africa its rightful size on the world stage, the move could reshape education, influence policy and bolster cultural pride. Yet the path from resolution to everyday reality is still being charted, and the true impact will unfold over the coming years as schools, agencies and digital platforms decide whether to redraw the world’s most familiar picture.
