The Togo‑led initiative, backed by the African Union, sought to correct a cartographic injustice that visually minimised Africa’s true scale on world maps.
Zambia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dr Chola Milambo welcomed the adoption, underscoring that it was historic moment for Africa and other marginalised countries to have a correct depiction of the African continent. He highlighted that for centuries, the map was not depicted correctly.
The resolution recognises that the Mercator projection, widely used around the world distorts, from the perspective of area representation, continental masses located far from the equator, resulting in a proportional shrinkage of Africa and other regions. As a result, Africa appears roughly the same size as Greenland, when in reality, it is 14 times larger.
The resolution encourages governments, schools, and international institutions to adopt the 2018 Equal Earth projection, an equal‑area map that accurately represents continental sizes without distortion.
While non‑binding, the resolution carries significant weight and is expected to influence textbooks, atlases, and digital platforms worldwide.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations.
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