Video of New Africa Map That Only US Voted Against

• The UN General Assembly passed a resolution to replace the widely used Mercator map with a more accurate version that corrects the distorted representation of Africa
• The 'Correct the Map' resolution was sponsored by Togo and backed by African Union member states, winning support from 164 countries
• Only the United States voted against the resolution, with six countries absent from the vote

The United Nations General Assembly has voted to phase out the Mercator world map in favour of a more accurate alternative that more fairly represents the true size of Africa and other landmasses near the equator.

The resolution, titled "Correct the Map," was sponsored by Togo and backed by all 54 African Union member states. It passed with support from 164 nations, including France and the United Kingdom. The United States was the only country to vote against it, while six countries were absent from the session.

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Why the Mercator map has faced criticism

BBC Pidgin reported that the Mercator map has been in widespread use since the 16th century, when Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator designed it in 1569 to help European explorers navigate the globe. Its fundamental flaw, however, lies in the nature of two-dimensional mapping: it is impossible to faithfully reproduce the curved surface of a sphere on a flat chart without introducing distortions.

The Mercator projection inflates the size of landmasses closer to the poles while shrinking those closer to the equator. As a result, Africa, which is 14 times larger than Greenland, appears roughly the same size as the Arctic island on the familiar map. Critics have long argued that this misrepresentation reduces how seriously the development needs and economic potential of equatorial nations are taken on the world stage.

Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey told Reuters ahead of Friday's vote: "A fair world begins with a fair map." He had earlier told a UN briefing that maps are never neutral, adding: "A map shapes perceptions, influences how people understand the place of peoples and continents in the world."

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The equal earth map as replacement

The proposed replacement is the Equal Earth projection, developed in 2018 by a team of cartographers. It uses an equal-area approach, meaning every continent and country appears at its correct size relative to the others.

The African Union formally adopted the Equal Earth projection in February, describing it as a map that "represents the sizes of all continents more accurately, particularly Africa."

Although the UN resolution is non-binding, it is expected to prompt governments, schools, international institutions, and organisations worldwide to update the maps they display and use in official materials.

See the video report on X here:

Tanzanian vice president resigns

Legit.ng earlier reported that Vice-President Emmanuel Nchimbi announced his resignation in a letter to Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, shared on Instagram.

Nchimbi, 54, will be the first Tanzanian vice-president to step down from office since the country gained independence in 1964.

The resignation comes less than 10 months after Nchimbi was sworn in, amid reports of a falling out between him and the president.

Source: Legit.ng