UN Dumps 500-Year-Old Mercator Map for an Undistorted View of the World

A cartographic milestone at the United Nations

The United Nations has quietly adopted a new map projection for many of its public-facing materials, retiring the 16th-century Mercator projection in favour of the Equal Earth projection. The switch, which was confirmed by the global body after an internal vote, aims to correct centuries of visual distortion that have long inflated the landmasses of the Global North while shrinking those of Africa, South America and other equatorial regions.

The problem with Mercator

Designed by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, the cylindrical projection became the default world map for classrooms, newsrooms and navigation charts. Its defining strength – preserving angles and directions – made it invaluable for sea travel, but it came with a severe optical flaw: areas near the poles are stretched dramatically, while regions near the equator appear much smaller than they actually are.

On a standard Mercator map, Greenland rivals the size of Africa, and Europe appears deceptively vast. In reality, Africa is roughly 14 times larger than Greenland, and South America is more than twice the size of Europe. These distortions have fed a visual hierarchy that, for generations, has overemphasised the Northern Hemisphere.

The Equal Earth alternative

The Equal Earth projection is a relatively new equal-area world map released in 2018 by cartographers Tom Patterson, Bojan Šavrič and Bernhard Jenny. It preserves the relative size of all continents and countries while maintaining a visually balanced, rectangular layout that looks familiar to anyone used to a standard world map. Unlike earlier equal-area attempts, such as the Gall-Peters projection, the Equal Earth projection avoids extreme stretching and squashing, offering a more natural appearance that makes it suitable for general display.

By showing every square kilometre in true proportion, the map dispels old illusions: Africa’s immense scale is restored, South America stretches correctly and the true modesty of northern landmasses becomes immediately apparent.

Why the UN’s move matters

Although cartographers have been advocating for a shift away from Mercator for decades, the UN’s decision carries symbolic weight. As the world’s primary multilateral institution, its maps influence how global issues are visualised in reports, educational materials and digital platforms. The new projection will be rolled out across several UN outlets, including public exhibits, flagship publications and online communications, according to officials familiar with the plan.

The change also sharpens a debate that has simmered since the late 20th century: whether the maps we grow up with subtly shape our geopolitical perceptions. Critics have long argued that the Mercator projection, with its enlarged Europe and North America, reinforces an unconscious Eurocentric bias.

“When you see Africa shrunk on a map, it can unconsciously signal that the continent is less significant,” said Amara Diarra, a Malian geography educator, in a recent virtual panel. “Restoring true proportions is not just about cartographic accuracy – it is about visual justice.”

Key distortions exposed

• Africa vs. Greenland: On a Mercator map, both appear similar in size. In reality, Africa is 14 times larger.
• South America vs. Europe: Mercator makes Europe look larger than South America, while the continent is actually twice as big.
• Alaska vs. Mexico: Alaska seems to dwarf Mexico, but Mexico is substantially larger in land area.
• Russia vs. Africa: Russia appears colossal next to Africa on a Mercator; in truth, Africa is almost twice the size of Russia.

What this means for everyday map readers

The UN does not have the power to compel schools or publishers to abandon Mercator, but its endorsement is likely to accelerate the adoption of equal-area projections in textbooks, news graphics and digital atlases. Several countries and institutions have already made the switch in recent years, including the Boston Public Schools system, which replaced Mercator with the Gall-Peters projection in its classrooms in 2017.

Experts caution that no flat map can be perfect. All projections involve trade-offs between area, shape, distance and direction. The Equal Earth prioritises area, making it ideal for thematic maps showing population, climate data or resource distribution – all areas where accurate size perception is crucial.

The UN has not yet released detailed guidelines on exactly which materials will be updated, but early indications suggest the transition will focus on visual products rather than navigation charts, where Mercator’s directional precision remains useful.

As the body that convenes 193 states on a daily basis, the UN’s cartographic shift sends an unmistakable message: the world is bigger and more balanced than the old maps ever let on.