India voted in favour of a United Nations General Assembly resolution on 6 September 2026 that seeks to correct distortions in the world map, particularly the underrepresentation of Africa’s true size. The resolution, titled “Correct the Map,” was supported by 164 countries, with only the United States voting against it and six countries abstaining. The initiative aims to promote a more accurate depiction of continental landmasses in global cartography.
According to The Hindu, India’s representative at the UN, Raghoo Puri, stated that India welcomed the intention behind the resolution to encourage more accurate and representative cartographic practices. However, India clarified that its support was for the broader use of equal-area map projections and not an endorsement of any specific projection, such as the Equal Earth projection.
As the resolution was sponsored by Togo and backed by African Union member states. The new map, known as the Equal Earth projection, was developed in 2018 to address the distortions of the traditional Mercator projection, which has been widely used since the 16th century. The Mercator map has been criticised for making Africa appear similar in size to Greenland, despite Africa being approximately 14 times larger
Analysis showed that the Mercator projection was originally designed for navigation, preserving angles and shapes but distorting the relative size of landmasses, especially those near the equator. Critics argue that this distortion has contributed to a minimisation of Africa, Latin America, and South Asia, affecting perceptions of their economic and political significance.
The new Equal Earth projection, as coverage revealed, makes Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and Oceania appear much larger and reduces the apparent size of North America and Europe. The United States, which voted against the resolution, argued that the General Assembly should focus on more pressing global issues rather than revising cartographic standards.
“A fair world begins with a fair map,” Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey stated, emphasising the influence of maps on global perceptions.
As reporting indicated, France announced it would stop using the Mercator projection, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot describing the change as an “act of truth.” The resolution is non-binding but is expected to encourage educational, governmental, and media institutions worldwide to adopt more accurate map projections.
The Equal Earth projection was adopted by the African Union’s 54 member states in February 2026, as further details showed. The campaign group #CorrectTheMap highlighted that Africa’s true size can accommodate the United States, China, India, Japan, Mexico, and much of Europe within its borders, underscoring the extent of previous distortions.
India’s support for the resolution aligns with its position on promoting equitable global representation. The country emphasised that the resolution should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any single map projection but as a call for more accurate and balanced cartographic practices as details emerged.
