06/09/2026
A SIGNIFICANT MOMENT FOR GEOGRAPHY!!!! The United Nations has just made a significant statement about something we probably take for granted every day, the world map.
This week, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly 164–1 to support a new approach to representing the world, encouraging the use of the Equal Earth projection rather than the traditional Mercator projection.
Why does this matter?
For centuries, the Mercator projection has been one of the most familiar maps in classrooms, textbooks and atlases. But while it is useful for navigation, it dramatically distorts the relative size of landmasses.
Africa is actually 14 times larger than Greenland, yet on a traditional Mercator map, they can appear almost the same size.
Africa, South America, South Asia and Australia appear considerably larger on the Equal Earth projection, while areas closer to the poles appear smaller.
And this isn't simply about making a prettier or more accurate map. Maps shape our world view.
They influence our perceptions of size, importance, distance, place and even power. The debate over which projection we use raises fascinating questions about cartography, colonialism, representation and geographical perception, especially of place.
The UN resolution, led by Togo and supported by African countries, encourages governments, schools, organisations and technology companies to consider more accurate representations of the world's landmasses.
As a Geography teacher, I think this is a brilliant reminder of one of the most important things we teach our students:
Maps are not the world. They are representations of the world — and every representation involves choices.
Perhaps it's time we looked at our maps a little more critically. What projection do you use in your classroom?
