UN True Size World Map & Projection Explorer

Equal Earth Projection: An equal-area pseudocylindrical projection approved by international cartographers and favored by the UN for fair geographic proportion. Drag landmasses over Africa

True Scale Overlay Cutouts Drag onto Africa

Grab Greenland, the US, Europe, or China on the map or click below to highlight and snap them over Africa's real landmass.

Greenland

2.17M km²

(7.1% of Africa)

Contiguous US

8.08M km²

(26.6% of Africa)

Europe (excl. RU)

5.90M km²

(19.4% of Africa)

China

9.60M km²

(31.6% of Africa)

India

3.29M km²

(10.8% of Africa)

Africa Total True Surface Area: 30,370,000 km² (11,725,000 sq mi)

All five regions combined (29.04M km²) fit completely inside the African continent with room to spare.

Mercator Latitude Distortion Index

Area multiplier at given latitude on Mercator: sec²(φ)

Equator (0° N/S - Africa center): 1.00× (Zero inflation)

Mid-Latitudes (40° N - US/Europe): 1.70× Area inflation

Sub-Arctic (60° N): 4.00× Area inflation

Greenland (75° N): 14.93× Area inflation

UN General Assembly Voting Record & Diplomatic Alignment

Resolution on Official Adoption of Equal-Area World Projections: Recommending educational, governmental, and international agencies sunset Eurocentric Mercator projections in non-navigational contexts in favor of true-scale projections that depict Africa and the Global South accurately.

In Favor (Adopted)

Majority (~186)

Nations voting to standardize true-area maps reflecting continent integrity.

Abstentions

6 Nations

Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine.

Sole Objector

1 (United States)

The only UN member state to formally cast a dissenting "No" vote.

Member State	Vote Cast	Continent / Region	Stated Diplomatic & Technical Position	Land Area (km²)

Cartographic Context: Why Map Projections Matter

Devised in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator, the standard Mercator projection preserves rhumb lines (constant compass bearings), making it revolutionary for maritime navigation. However, preserving local angles (conformality) requires stretching distances infinitely toward the poles.

Because Africa straddles the equator, it experiences virtually zero area inflation. On Mercator maps, Greenland (2.17M km²) appears identical in size to Africa (30.37M km²), despite Africa being nearly 14 times larger. The UN resolution establishes that international curricula and administrative presentations should prioritize equal-area projections like Equal Earth or Gall-Peters to prevent pervasive geographical misconceptions.