UN Adopts New World Map to Better Reflect Africa's True Size

The United Nations has adopted a new world map designed to more accurately represent the size of Africa, according to a report by BBC News.

The move comes amid renewed scrutiny of widely used map projections, which the report says have historically distorted the relative sizes of continents, often minimizing Africa's true scale.

According to BBC News, no flat map can perfectly represent the spherical Earth without some form of distortion, meaning cartographers must choose which features—such as shape, size, distance, or direction—to preserve at the expense of others.

The report notes that different map projections have historically served different purposes, with some prioritizing navigational accuracy and others prioritizing proportional representation of land area.

BBC News states that the UN's adoption of a new map reflects growing attention to how commonly used projections can shape public perception of geography, including the relative size and prominence of different regions and countries.

The report does not specify the exact projection method adopted by the UN or provide additional technical details beyond the stated aim of correcting Africa's depicted size.