Saturday 05th September, 2026 11:14 AM|
Kenya has welcomed the United Nations General Assembly’s decision to back a new approach to world maps that more accurately reflects the geographical size of Africa, describing the move as more than a symbolic victory for the continent.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei, in a statement shared via his official X account on Saturday, September 5, 2026, said the decision should be viewed as part of a broader effort to correct longstanding distortions in how Africa is perceived globally.
“A major conceptual correction of Africa’s geographical size is not an insignificant or merely symbolic victory. This effort must be seen as a growing acknowledgement of the need to right the wrongs against the continent, including in the way it is perceived,” Sing’Oei said.
His remarks came after the UN General Assembly on Friday, September 4, 2026, adopted a resolution promoting cartographic representations that more accurately show the relative size of countries and continents.
The resolution, spearheaded by Togo and backed by the African Union, received 164 votes in favour, while the United States was the only country to vote against it. Six countries abstained.
The initiative promotes the use of equal-area projections, including the Equal Earth map, which was developed in 2018 and provides a more accurate representation of the relative surface areas of continents.
Africa has long appeared smaller
The debate centres largely on the widely used Mercator projection, developed by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569.
Although the projection was designed primarily to assist maritime navigation, it significantly enlarges areas closer to the North and South Poles while shrinking regions around the Equator.
As a result, Africa can appear considerably smaller than its actual geographical size when compared with northern parts of the world.
For instance, Greenland can appear roughly comparable in size to Africa on a Mercator map, despite Africa being about 14 times larger than Greenland.
Supporters of the UN initiative argue that repeated exposure to such representations can influence how people understand the geographical importance of different regions.
The campaign has therefore moved beyond cartography to questions of education, representation and perceptions of Africa.
US stands alone in opposing resolution
The overwhelming vote also drew attention to the United States, which was the only country to oppose the resolution.
Washington argued that the UN should focus on what it considers more pressing global challenges rather than questions surrounding historical map projections.
The six abstentions left the measure with an overwhelming majority, highlighting the broad international support for the initiative.
Despite the vote, the resolution does not legally compel countries to abandon the Mercator projection.
Instead, it encourages governments, educational institutions, international organisations and other stakeholders to promote maps that provide a more accurate representation of the relative size of land masses.
The Mercator projection will also continue to have practical uses, particularly in navigation, where its properties remain useful.
