The United Nations General Assembly has approved a new world map using the Equal Earth projection, a method designed to more accurately reflect the true sizes of continents compared to the traditional Mercator projection. The resolution, supported by 164 countries, including France and the UK, aims to correct the distortions of the Mercator map, which was created in 1569 and made Africa appear roughly the same size as Greenland. While the UN has encouraged governments and institutions to adopt the Equal Earth projection, it has not made it mandatory. Ukraine, which abstained from the vote, expressed concerns that the Equal Earth projection shows the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula in a lighter shade than the rest of Ukraine. Ukraine’s permanent representative to the UN, Andrii Melnyk, stated that the country supports the resolution’s main goal but requested changes to the map before the vote, which were not made. He warned that the map could be misused or misinterpreted, calling the decision a “truly fatal mistake.” India, which supported the resolution, raised concerns about how disputed territories in Kashmir are depicted. The Indian foreign ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, emphasized that the map should reflect India’s official stance on its sovereign territory, including the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Any depiction that is inaccurate or misleading, he said, is unacceptable. Japan also raised objections, protesting the map’s depiction of the disputed Kuril Islands as part of Russia. The Japanese government spokesperson, Minoru Kihara, stated that the map contradicted Japan’s position and lodged a formal protest through diplomatic channels. The dispute over the Kuril Islands, which were taken by the former Soviet Union in 1945, remains a longstanding issue between Russia and Japan. The United States, the only country to vote against the resolution, criticized the decision, claiming it signaled a loss of credibility for the UN. The US representative, Yaryna Ferencevych, argued that the focus on historical map projections was misplaced and should not overshadow more pressing global issues. The resolution followed months of advocacy by the African Union, which adopted its own version of the Equal Earth map in February. This projection correctly shows Africa as 14 times larger than Greenland, in contrast to the Mercator projection, which significantly underestimated Africa’s size. The African Union and organizations like Africa No Filter praised the resolution, highlighting the importance of accurate maps in education and shaping public understanding of the world.