The UN General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution encouraging the use of equal-area map projections like Equal Earth over Mercator, but navigation apps such as Google Maps and Apple Maps are unlikely to switch. The Mercator projection remains entrenched due to its practical maritime navigation advantage of preserving straight-line compass bearings.
Background
The Mercator projection, created by Gerardus Mercator in 1569, distorts the sizes of landmasses near the poles, making Europe and North America appear larger than they actually are relative to Africa and South America. A recent UN resolution led by African nations highlights these distortions and advocates for more accurate equal-area representations.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Sep 10, 2026 at 01:11 AM
- Score
- 6.0 / 10