Have you ever looked at a world map and wondered whether the countries and continents are actually shown in their correct size?
The answer is not always. The Earth is round, but the world map we usually see on a wall, in a textbook or on a screen is flat. When a spherical Earth is converted into a flat map, some kind of distortion is unavoidable. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no flat world map can simultaneously preserve the true area, shape, distance and direction of the entire Earth. Different map projections are therefore designed for different purposes.
This is why Greenland can look almost as large as Africa on a traditional Mercator world map, even though Africa is around 14 times larger than Greenland. The problem is not that Africa has been physically made smaller. Rather, regions at high latitudes, especially near the poles, are greatly enlarged by the Mercator projection.
And now, in 2026, the world-map debate has entered a new chapter.
On September 4, 2026, the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution supporting the wider use of the Equal Earth projection, which represents the relative areas of continents more accurately. The resolution passed with 164 votes in favour, one against and six abstentions. However, it is important to understand that this is not a worldwide legal ban on the Mercator map. The resolution is non-binding and encourages governments, schools, international organisations and technology companies to consider more accurate equal-area projections.
So, how did we reach this point?
Let’s go back approximately 2,000 years and follow the incredible history of the world map.
⭐ Why Can the Earth Not Be Shown Perfectly on a Flat Map?
Before discussing old and new maps, we need to understand one simple problem.
The Earth is approximately spherical.
A sheet of paper, computer screen or printed world map is flat.
When cartographers try to transfer the surface of a globe onto a flat surface, something has to change.
Depending on the projection, a map may distort:
- Area
- Shape
- Distance
- Direction
- Position
- Scale
The USGS explains that every flat map has some distortion, and there is no single projection that is perfect for every purpose.
This is called a map projection.
A map projection is therefore not simply a different drawing of the Earth. It is a mathematical method for converting the curved surface of the Earth into a flat representation.
⭐ The Most Important Example: Greenland and Africa
The easiest way to understand map distortion is to compare Greenland and Africa.
On a familiar Mercator-style world map, Greenland can appear almost comparable in size to Africa.
But their actual areas are dramatically different.
| Landmass | Approximate area |
|---|---|
| Africa | 30.3 million km² |
| Greenland | 2.16 million km² |
| India | 3.29 million km² |
| Australia | 7.7 million km² |
Africa is therefore roughly 14 times larger than Greenland.
So why does Greenland look so huge?
The answer is latitude.
Greenland is located very far north, while a large part of Africa lies much closer to the Equator.
The Mercator projection increasingly enlarges areas as they move toward the poles. The USGS specifically notes that distances and areas become greatly distorted near the polar regions in the basic Mercator projection.
The important point
It would be misleading to say:
“The old map made Africa smaller.”
A better explanation is:
The Mercator projection greatly enlarges high-latitude regions, making places such as Greenland, northern Canada and Russia appear much larger relative to areas closer to the Equator.
That is the real reason for the visual difference.
⭐ How Did People Make World Maps 2,000 Years Ago?
Today’s maps are based on satellites, GPS, computers, aircraft and highly accurate surveying.
People 2,000 years ago had none of these technologies.
Ancient mapmakers depended on:
- Travellers
- Sailors
- Traders
- Astronomical observations
- Mathematical calculations
- Military expeditions
- Local geographical knowledge
- Earlier maps
- Written descriptions
Because information travelled slowly, large portions of the Earth were unknown to individual civilisations.
Therefore, an ancient “world map” generally meant a map of the world as that civilisation understood it, not a complete map of the planet as we know it today.
⭐ Ancient Babylonian World Map
One of the famous surviving early representations of the world is the Babylonian Map of the World, commonly dated to around the 6th century BC.
It was very different from a modern world map.
Rather than showing every continent and country accurately, it represented the world according to Babylonian geographical understanding.
The map gives us an important lesson:
A map shows knowledge available to its creators at a particular time.
It is therefore impossible to compare an ancient map directly with today’s satellite-based world map and expect the same level of accuracy.
⭐ Eratosthenes and the Measurement of Earth
Around the 3rd century BC, Greek scholar Eratosthenes made an extraordinary contribution to geography.
He attempted to calculate the circumference of the Earth using observations of shadows and geometry.
This was an important step because geography was moving beyond simply drawing known places.
Mathematics was becoming an important part of understanding the planet.
His work influenced later geographical thinking and helped establish the idea that the Earth could be measured scientifically.
⭐ Ptolemy’s World Map – Around 150 AD
One of the biggest milestones in ancient cartography came from Claudius Ptolemy, who lived during the 2nd century AD.
Ptolemy’s geographical work attempted to describe locations using a system of latitude and longitude.
This was extremely important.
Instead of simply saying that one city was “east of another city”, geographical locations could increasingly be represented using coordinates.
Ptolemy’s known world included parts of:
- Europe
- North Africa
- The Mediterranean
- Western and Central Asia
- Parts of South Asia
However, large areas of the actual planet were still unknown or incorrectly represented.
Ptolemy’s geographical ideas remained influential for centuries and were later rediscovered and incorporated into European mapmaking.
This makes Ptolemy’s work one of the most important links between ancient geography and later scientific cartography.
⭐ Medieval Maps: The World Was Still Incomplete
During the medieval period, geographical knowledge continued to develop through different civilisations.
European scholars, Islamic geographers and Asian scholars contributed to the growing understanding of the world.
Maps were made for different purposes, including:
- Travel
- Trade
- Religion
- Administration
- Navigation
- Military purposes
- Geography
One of the most important developments came from the Islamic world.
⭐ Al-Idrisi’s World Map – 1154
In 1154, the famous geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi completed an important geographical work for the Norman King Roger II of Sicily.
His famous world representation is commonly known as the Tabula Rogeriana.
It was created using information gathered from travellers, merchants and earlier geographical sources.
The map represented large parts of the known world, including Europe, Africa and Asia.
One interesting feature is that the traditional representation places south at the top, which is the opposite of the north-up orientation commonly used today.
This demonstrates an important fact:
There is nothing natural or universal about putting north at the top of a map.
It became a convention.
⭐ The 1400s: The World Was About to Change
By the 15th century, European maritime exploration was expanding.
Sailors were travelling farther.
Ships were improving.
Navigation techniques were becoming more sophisticated.
European powers were searching for new trade routes.
And gradually, information about previously unknown parts of the world began reaching European mapmakers.
The biggest change was about to come from across the Atlantic.
⭐ 1492 and the Mapping of the Americas
Christopher Columbus’s 1492 voyage became a major turning point in European geographical knowledge.
European mapmakers began receiving information about lands across the Atlantic.
Over the following decades, exploration and mapping of the Americas expanded rapidly.
This did not mean that the Americas were “discovered” in the sense that they were previously unknown to humanity. Indigenous civilisations had lived there for thousands of years.
Rather, European geographical maps began incorporating the Americas into their representation of the world.
This dramatically changed European maps.
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⭐ Waldseemüller Map – 1507
One of the most famous maps in the history of cartography was created by Martin Waldseemüller in 1507.
It is particularly famous because it used the name “America” for the newly represented lands.
This was an extraordinary moment in map history.
The traditional Europe-Africa-Asia view of the world was being replaced by a much larger geographical picture.
The map also demonstrates how quickly maps could change when new geographical information became available.
⭐ Piri Reis Map – 1513
Another famous map from the Age of Exploration is the Piri Reis Map, created in 1513 by Ottoman admiral and cartographer Piri Reis.
The surviving portion contains parts of the Atlantic world, including representations of South America and other coastal regions.
Piri Reis compiled geographical information from multiple sources.
This was another sign that world maps were becoming increasingly interconnected.
Information collected by different explorers and navigators could now be combined into new maps.
⭐ Mercator’s World Map – 1569
Now we reach one of the most important maps for understanding today’s controversy.
In 1569, Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator published his famous world map using what became known as the Mercator projection.
The Mercator projection was created primarily with navigation in mind.
Its major advantage was that it preserved angles and made lines of constant compass direction appear as straight lines, which was highly useful to sailors.
But there was a trade-off.
Area became increasingly distorted toward the poles.
This is why Greenland, northern Canada and Russia can appear far larger than their actual areas relative to regions near the Equator. The USGS confirms that the basic Mercator projection has substantial area and distance distortion near the polar regions.
⭐ Was Mercator’s Map Wrong?
Not exactly.
This is an important point.
Mercator’s map was created for a particular purpose.
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It was highly useful for navigation.
The problem comes when we use it for something it was not designed to do well:
comparing the true areas of continents and countries.
Therefore, instead of saying:
“Mercator is a wrong map.”
It is more accurate to say:
Mercator is useful for navigation but unsuitable for accurately comparing the relative areas of the world’s landmasses.
Different projections have different strengths.
The USGS itself states that there is no single “best” map projection; the appropriate projection depends on what the map is intended to show.
⭐ The First Modern Atlases
Another major milestone came in 1570, when Flemish cartographer Abraham Ortelius published Theatrum Orbis Terrarum.
It is widely regarded as one of the first modern atlases.
An atlas changed how people used maps.
Instead of having one world map, people could study collections of maps showing:
- Countries
- Continents
- Seas
- Cities
- Rivers
- Trade routes
- Political boundaries
The world was becoming something that could be systematically studied through maps.
⭐ 17th and 18th Centuries: Maps Become More Scientific
During the 17th and 18th centuries, mapmaking became increasingly scientific.
Cartographers and scientists developed better methods for measuring locations.
Important improvements included:
- Better astronomical observations
- Improved instruments
- Triangulation
- More accurate surveying
- Improved longitude calculations
- Better sea charts
- Government mapping projects
One major challenge was longitude.
Latitude could be estimated relatively well using astronomical observations.
Longitude was much more difficult to calculate accurately at sea.
The development of accurate marine clocks eventually helped sailors determine longitude more reliably.
This significantly improved navigation and mapmaking.
⭐ 19th Century: Detailed Country Maps Become Possible
By the 19th century, governments and scientific institutions were conducting extensive land surveys.
Maps increasingly showed:
- National boundaries
- Rivers
- Mountains
- Roads
- Railways
- Towns
- Elevation
- Property boundaries
- Coastlines
Large surveying projects made maps much more detailed than the world maps of previous centuries.
This was also a period of extensive colonial surveying, which means many maps were produced for administrative, military and economic purposes.
⭐ 20th Century: Airplanes Change Mapping
The invention and widespread use of aircraft created another major revolution.
Instead of sending surveyors across every part of the landscape, governments and researchers could photograph large areas from the air.
Aerial photography became important for:
- Military mapping
- Agriculture
- Urban planning
- Road construction
- Land surveys
- Geological studies
- Topographic mapping
This dramatically increased the speed at which large areas could be mapped.
⭐ Satellites Changed the World Map Forever
Then humans went into space.
Satellites made it possible to observe Earth on a global scale.
Instead of depending entirely on ships, travellers, surveyors and aircraft, humans could now observe the planet from above.
Satellite technology transformed mapping.
Modern satellite systems can provide information about:
- Coastlines
- Mountains
- Oceans
- Forests
- Cities
- Ice
- Agriculture
- Weather
- Environmental changes
The world map was no longer just a drawing based on collected information.
It became part of a massive digital geographic database.
⭐ GPS and Digital Maps
The next major revolution came with GPS, GIS, computers and digital mapping.
Today, a map can tell you:
- Where you are
- Where another place is
- How far away it is
- Which road to take
- How long a journey may take
- What buildings are nearby
- What the terrain looks like
- What satellite imagery shows
This is completely different from the maps used by Ptolemy or Al-Idrisi.
The modern map is not just a picture.
It is a digital information system.
⭐ Why Do Greenland, Russia and Canada Look So Large?
Now let’s come back to the central issue.
The Mercator projection stretches the map increasingly as you move toward the poles.
Therefore, high-latitude regions can appear much larger than their true area.
Some of the most noticeable examples include:
Greenland
Greenland is perhaps the most famous example.
It can appear almost comparable to Africa on a Mercator map, despite Africa being roughly 14 times larger in area.
Russia
Russia stretches across very high northern latitudes.
Consequently, its apparent size on a Mercator world map is significantly affected by projection distortion.
Canada
Canada extends far into the Northern Hemisphere and is also strongly affected by high-latitude enlargement.
Alaska
Alaska’s high latitude also contributes to its exaggerated appearance on Mercator-style maps.
Antarctica
Antarctica is located around the South Pole.
On a Mercator projection, the mathematical enlargement becomes extreme toward the poles, which is why Antarctica can appear enormous or may even be impossible to represent properly at the exact pole.
The USGS explains that Mercator’s area distortion becomes very large near the polar regions.
⭐ What About Australia?
Australia is sometimes included in discussions about map distortion, but it is important not to put Australia in exactly the same category as Greenland or the Arctic regions.
Australia is located considerably farther from the poles than Greenland, Canada or northern Russia.
Therefore, it does not experience the same extreme high-latitude enlargement.
However, because every flat projection introduces some form of distortion, Australia can still appear somewhat different from its globe representation depending on the projection being used.
This is why we should not simply divide the world into “distorted countries” and “undistorted countries.”
The better question is:
What property does a particular projection preserve, and what does it sacrifice?
⭐ Equal Earth Projection – A New Way to Show the World
The Equal Earth projection was developed in 2018 by cartographers Bojan Šavrič, Tom Patterson and Bernhard Jenny.
Unlike Mercator, Equal Earth is an equal-area projection.
Its main goal is to preserve the relative area of landmasses.
That means if Africa is about 14 times larger than Greenland in reality, an equal-area projection aims to maintain that relationship much more accurately on the map.
But Equal Earth is not a magical perfect map.
It still has some shape distortion because no flat map can preserve everything simultaneously. That is a basic limitation of transforming a globe into a flat surface.
⭐ 2026: The World Map Debate Enters a New Era
Now we reach the most recent development.
On September 4, 2026, the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution encouraging the use of world-map projections that more accurately represent the relative sizes of landmasses.
The resolution specifically promotes the Equal Earth projection as an option.
The vote was:
| Result | Countries |
|---|---|
| In favour | 164 |
| Against | 1 |
| Abstained | 6 |
The United States was the only country to vote against the resolution.
The initiative was led by Togo and supported by African countries and other nations.
The argument is that maps influence how people understand the world, especially when they are used in schools and educational materials.
⭐ Is the United Nations Completely Replacing the Old World Map?
No.
This needs to be explained carefully.
The 2026 UN resolution is not a legally binding order requiring every country, website or company to replace Mercator immediately.
It encourages the wider adoption of equal-area projections when accurately representing the relative size of continents is important.
The Mercator projection also remains useful for navigation.
In fact, the resolution does not challenge its continued use for maritime and aerial navigation.
So it would be incorrect to say:
“The Mercator map has been banned.”
A more accurate statement is:
The UN has endorsed a move toward more accurate area-based representations of the world, with Equal Earth promoted as an important option.
⭐ How Will the New Map Look Different?
The difference is easy to understand.
Traditional Mercator-style map
Greenland, northern Canada and Russia appear much larger.
Equal Earth
The relative sizes of continents are represented more accurately.
Africa therefore appears much larger relative to Europe and Greenland.
South America also receives a more realistic representation of its area.
Australia and other regions are represented according to an equal-area principle.
⭐ Is Equal Earth Better Than Mercator?
That depends on what you want to use the map for.
| Purpose | Better suited projection |
|---|---|
| Comparing continent sizes | Equal Earth |
| Showing relative land area | Equal Earth |
| Teaching global area comparisons | Equal Earth |
| Maritime navigation | Mercator |
| Showing compass bearings | Mercator |
| General world map | Depends on purpose |
| Exact representation of the globe | Globe |
So the question should not simply be:
“Which map is correct?”
The better question is:
“Which map is correct for the job we want it to perform?”
⭐ Why Can We Not Have One Perfect World Map?
Suppose you want one flat map to preserve all of these:
- Exact shape
- Exact area
- Exact distance
- Exact direction
Unfortunately, this is mathematically impossible for the entire spherical Earth.
You have to compromise.
The USGS explains that a flat map can preserve one or more important properties, but cannot preserve true directions, distances, areas and shapes everywhere at the same time.
This is why cartographers have created many different projections.
Some focus on:
- Area
- Shape
- Distance
- Direction
- Navigation
- Regional accuracy
⭐ Complete Timeline: 2,000 Years of World Map Evolution
| Approximate period | Important development | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| 6th century BC | Babylonian World Map | Early representation of the known world |
| 3rd century BC | Eratosthenes | Mathematical measurement of Earth |
| 2nd century AD | Ptolemy | Coordinates and systematic geography |
| Medieval period | Islamic geographical scholarship | Expansion and preservation of geographical knowledge |
| 1154 | Al-Idrisi | Major medieval representation of the known world |
| 1400s | Age of Exploration | Rapid expansion of geographical knowledge |
| 1507 | Waldseemüller Map | Famous early use of the name America |
| 1513 | Piri Reis Map | Important Atlantic-world cartography |
| 1569 | Mercator Projection | Major navigation-focused projection |
| 1570 | Ortelius Atlas | Early modern atlas |
| 17th–18th centuries | Scientific surveying | Improved measurements |
| 19th century | National surveys | Detailed mapping of territories |
| 20th century | Aerial photography | Mapping from aircraft |
| Space Age | Satellite mapping | Global observation of Earth |
| Late 20th century | GPS and GIS | Digital location and geographic information |
| 2018 | Equal Earth | Equal-area global projection |
| 2026 | UN resolution supporting Equal Earth | Push toward more accurate area representation |
⭐ From Ptolemy to Equal Earth: The Biggest Changes
If we simplify the entire history, the evolution looks like this:
Ancient maps
↓
Mathematical geography
↓
Ptolemy’s coordinates
↓
Medieval geographical knowledge
↓
Age of Exploration
↓
America appears on European maps
↓
Mercator projection
↓
Scientific surveying
↓
Aerial photography
↓
Satellite imagery
↓
GPS and digital maps
↓
Equal Earth and other modern projections
This is not simply the history of drawing maps.
It is the history of how human knowledge about Earth expanded.
⭐ Why the 2026 Map Change Is Important
At first glance, changing a map may seem like a small issue.
But maps are used everywhere.
They appear in:
- Schools
- Textbooks
- News websites
- Government documents
- Mobile applications
- Geography books
- Businesses
- Navigation systems
- Online education
If a particular projection is repeatedly shown to children, it can influence how they visually understand the size and importance of different parts of the world.
The 2026 UN initiative therefore goes beyond simply changing a picture.
It is about encouraging people to understand that a map is a representation created using mathematical choices.
⭐ Does Changing the Map Change the Actual Size of Countries?
Absolutely not.
This is another important point.
If a map changes from Mercator to Equal Earth:
- Africa does not become bigger.
- Greenland does not physically become smaller.
- Russia does not lose territory.
- Europe does not shrink in reality.
Only the way the Earth is represented on a flat surface changes.
The actual geographical areas remain exactly the same.
⭐ What Will the World Map Look Like in the Future?
It is unlikely that there will be only one map projection used everywhere.
Different maps will continue to serve different purposes.
For example:
Navigation: Mercator and other specialised projections can remain useful.
Education: Equal-area maps may become more common when teaching continent sizes.
Scientific research: Specialised projections can be selected according to the data being studied.
Digital maps: Software can dynamically change projections depending on zoom level and purpose.
Globe-based applications: 3D Earth models can avoid many of the problems associated with flattening the entire planet.
Therefore, the future may not be about replacing one map with another everywhere.
It may instead be about using the right map for the right purpose.
⭐ The Fascinating Lesson From 2,000 Years of Maps
The world map has never really been finished.
Around 2,000 years ago, Ptolemy created a mathematical representation of the known world.
Centuries later, Al-Idrisi combined geographical knowledge from different sources.
During the Age of Exploration, the Americas entered European world maps.
Mercator created a projection that was extremely useful for navigation.
Scientific surveying made national maps increasingly accurate.
Aircraft allowed humans to photograph the Earth from above.
Satellites allowed us to observe the entire planet.
GPS and computers transformed maps into interactive digital systems.
And now, in 2026, the world is debating how best to represent the true relative size of Earth’s landmasses.
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The interesting thing is that the Earth itself has not changed.
Our understanding and representation of it has.
⭐ Conclusion
The history of the world map is actually the story of how human beings gradually understood the planet.
Around 2,000 years ago, maps were created from limited geographical knowledge. Ptolemy introduced a more systematic approach to coordinates. Al-Idrisi expanded medieval geographical knowledge. The Age of Exploration added the Americas to European maps. Mercator created a projection that transformed navigation. Later, scientific surveys, aircraft, satellites, GPS and computers completely changed the way Earth was mapped.
Today, another important discussion is taking place.
The Equal Earth projection provides a more accurate visual comparison of the relative areas of continents, especially when compared with the traditional Mercator projection. The 2026 UN resolution supports greater use of such area-accurate representations, although it does not ban Mercator or force every map to change.
So the next time you see Greenland looking almost as large as Africa, remember one thing:
The Earth is not wrong. The map is simply using a particular projection.
And that is why the world map we see today may not be the world map future generations will use.
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