African Union and Togo implement UN “Correct the Map” resolution

Togo and the African Union are collaborating with the designers of the Equal Earth map projection to implement the United Nations General Assembly’s “Correct the Map” resolution. The resolution, adopted by 164 votes on September 4, encourages the use of equal-area map projections to ensure the relative size of territories is accurately represented.

Unlike the Mercator projection, which distorts landmasses toward the poles, the Equal Earth projection preserves the relative areas of continents while maintaining recognizable shapes. This is particularly significant for Africa, which often appears smaller than its actual size on traditional maps. The cartographers behind the projection, Tom Patterson, Bernhard Jenny, and Bojan Šavrič, have pledged scientific and technical support to assist with education and mapping efforts.