UN Pushes Accurate Maps: Equal Earth vs Mercator

The UN General Assembly Resolution – What Happened?

On September 4, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution that calls on governments, schools, international bodies, and technology firms to give preference to equal‑area map projections—most notably the Equal Earth projection—when the relative size of landmasses matters.

• 164 member states voted in favor.
• 6 abstained.
• The United States cast the sole “no” vote, branding the initiative a “radical ideological project.”

The resolution is non‑binding; it does not compel any party to replace existing cartographic standards. Instead, it encourages the adoption of more size‑accurate maps and the inclusion of educational material that explains the trade‑offs inherent in flattening a sphere.

While the language is diplomatic, the political symbolism is clear: the UN wants the world to recognize that the familiar 16th‑century Mercator projection, which inflates high‑latitude regions, is a historical artifact rather than a scientific necessity.

Technical Breakdown – From Mercator to Equal Earth

Mercator’s Legacy

Developed by Dutch cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, the Mercator projection was a breakthrough for sailors because it preserves angles and direction. Its mathematical basis is a cylindrical projection where the globe is wrapped around a cylinder tangent at the equator. The result:

• Conformal: shapes are locally accurate, making it ideal for navigation.
• Distortive: area expands dramatically toward the poles; Greenland appears roughly the size of Africa, despite being 14 times smaller.

Because early navigation relied on paper charts, the Mercator map became the default for centuries. Modern digital mapping platforms inherited this bias, even though the underlying data pipelines can support many projections.

Equal Earth – A Modern Equal‑Area Alternative

The Equal Earth projection, introduced in 2018 by cartographers Tom Patterson and Bojan Šavrič, is an equal‑area pseudocylindrical design that balances visual appeal with strict area preservation. Key characteristics:

• Equal‑area: every region’s displayed size matches its true surface area, eliminating the north‑south bias.
• Aesthetic compromise: the projection maintains a familiar “world map” silhouette, reducing the visual shock that can accompany more exotic equal‑area projections like Mollweide.
• Computationally light: the forward and inverse formulas are simple enough for real‑time rendering on browsers and mobile devices.

Because the projection is open‑source, developers can integrate it into GIS libraries, web‑mapping frameworks, and even navigation apps without licensing hurdles.

Trade‑offs to Consider

No projection is perfect. When choosing a map for a specific application, designers weigh:

🔹 ----------
• Mercator: ----------
• Equal Earth: -------------

🔹 *Conformality*
• Mercator: Preserves angles → excellent for compass bearings
• Equal Earth: Distorts angles → less suitable for precise direction

🔹 *Area Accuracy*
• Mercator: Poor (high‑latitude inflation)
• Equal Earth: Perfect (areas are true)

🔹 *Visual Familiarity*
• Mercator: Highly familiar to the public
• Equal Earth: Familiar shape, but less entrenched

🔹 *Computational Cost*
• Mercator: Minimal (well‑optimized libraries)
• Equal Earth: Slightly higher, still trivial for modern hardware

Understanding these trade‑offs is central to the UN’s educational push: students should learn why a map looks the way it does, not just accept the default.

Why It Matters – The Real‑World Implications of Size Distortion

Geopolitical Perception

Map distortion subtly influences how people perceive the importance of nations. The Mercator’s exaggeration of Europe, North America, and Russia can reinforce a Euro‑centric worldview, while under‑representing Africa, South America, and Oceania. Equal‑area maps provide a more balanced visual narrative, which can affect:

• International policy discussions – when delegates view a map that accurately reflects landmass, the psychological bias toward “larger” countries diminishes.
• Media coverage – news graphics that use equal‑area projections can help audiences better grasp the scale of climate impacts, resource distribution, or population density.

Education and Public Awareness

The resolution explicitly calls for curriculum updates that

that integrate equal‑area maps into geography lessons, teach students the mathematics behind different projections, and encourage critical discussions about how visual representations shape perception.

Sample Curriculum Elements

• Map‑Projection Workshops – Hands‑on activities where pupils plot the same country on Mercator, Equal Earth, and Mollweide maps, then calculate the percentage error in area.
• Historical Context Modules – Brief overviews of why the Mercator projection was created, its role in the Age of Exploration, and how colonial narratives were reinforced by distorted visuals.
• Data‑Visualization Projects – Assignments that require students to choose the most appropriate projection for a given dataset (e.g., population density vs. flight routes).

By embedding these components, educators can move beyond rote memorisation of capitals and foster a deeper understanding of cartographic choices.

Tech Industry Response – Will Apps Switch Projections?

Major Players’ Stance

🔹 ---------
• Current Default: ----------------
• Public Comment on UN Resolution: --------------------------------
• Likelihood of Adoption: ------------------------

🔹 *Google Maps*
• Current Default: Web Mercator (EPSG:3857)
• Public Comment on UN Resolution: “We continuously evaluate map projections for specific use‑cases; the resolution aligns with our educational outreach goals.”
• Likelihood of Adoption: Medium – may add optional Equal Earth layer for educational mode

🔹 *Apple Maps*
• Current Default: Web Mercator
• Public Comment on UN Resolution: No official statement yet; internal briefings suggest low priority due to navigation focus.
• Likelihood of Adoption: Low

🔹 *OpenStreetMap (OSM) Community*
• Current Default: Multiple, with Mercator dominant in default renderers
• Public Comment on UN Resolution: Strong support for open‑source equal‑area renderers; several forks already experimenting with Equal Earth tiles.
• Likelihood of Adoption: High – community‑driven pilots emerging

🔹 *Mapbox*
• Current Default: Web Mercator (default style)
• Public Comment on UN Resolution: “We’re excited about the UN’s push for map literacy and are prototyping Equal Earth basemaps for non‑navigational contexts.”
• Likelihood of Adoption: Medium‑High – early beta available

Practical Considerations

• Performance – While Equal Earth is computationally light, the massive tile caches built for Web Mercator would need to be regenerated, incurring storage and CDN costs.
• User Expectations – Most users associate “the map” with the familiar Mercator silhouette; a sudden switch could cause confusion, especially for navigation where directionality matters.

Read the full breakdown originally published at https://ltdeveloperblogs.github.io/posts/popular-navigation-apps-unlikely-to-ditch-mercator-maps-despite-un-resolution/