The Mercator Misconception: A New Map to Set Straight the World’s Geography

The United Nations’ decision to adopt a new world map, known as the Equal Earth cartographic projection, has been met with widespread applause from nations that have long felt misrepresented by the traditional Mercator projection. For decades, this centuries-old map has distorted our understanding of the world’s geography, inflating northern regions and compressing equatorial ones.

The Mercator projection was not designed for global representation; its primary purpose was to aid navigation at sea. Gerardus Mercator created it in 1569, focusing on accurate depictions of landmass shapes and angles. However, this led to a distorted view of relative sizes, making Europe and North America appear larger than they actually are while shrinking Africa and South America.

The new map, developed by cartographers Bojan Savric, Tom Patterson, and Bernhard Jenny in 2018, promises to rectify this imbalance. The Equal Earth projection preserves the relative surface areas of continents, showing the world’s geography as it would appear on a globe. This means that Africa, which covers approximately 30.3 million square kilometers (11.7 million square miles), will finally be represented accurately – no longer appearing roughly the same size as Greenland.

The implications of this change go beyond cartography. Maps have long been used to shape our perceptions and inform decision-making. As Foreign Minister Robert Dussey of Togo pointed out, maps “guide education, nourish the imagination, and influence collective perceptions.” By adopting a more accurate representation of the world’s geography, we may see shifts in how nations approach issues like climate change, economic development, and international relations.

Not everyone is pleased with this change. The United States was one of only two countries to vote against the resolution, with six other states abstaining. US representative Yaryna Ferencevych argued that the UN was “losing its credibility” by debating map projects from the 16th century. However, this criticism seems misguided – it is precisely this kind of outdated thinking that has led to the Mercator projection’s dominance for so long.

The adoption of Equal Earth is not a binding decision but rather an encouragement to governments and institutions around the world to adopt a more accurate representation of the world’s geography. As we move forward with this new map, it will be interesting to see how nations respond. Will they use this opportunity to challenge other distorted representations of reality, or will the status quo prevail?

The world will never look at its maps in the same way again. The Equal Earth projection marks a significant shift towards greater accuracy and representation in our understanding of global geography. As we embark on this new chapter in cartography, it is essential to remember that a map is not just a tool for navigation – it is also a reflection of our values and priorities as a global community.

The adoption of the Equal Earth projection serves as a reminder: even small changes can have profound effects when it comes to shaping our perceptions of the world. It’s time to set straight the world’s geography once and for all.