A United Nations vote has supported wider use of an Equal Earth map that presents land areas in their correct relative proportions.

Why projection choices matter

The familiar Mercator projection preserves local angles, which made it useful for navigation, but it greatly enlarges regions near the poles. Africa and other equatorial areas therefore appear much smaller relative to Europe, Greenland and North America than they actually are.

Equal-area projections change shapes somewhat while preserving comparative size. Supporters say the shift improves geographic literacy and counters a visual convention with political and educational consequences. Adoption will depend on schools, publishers and public institutions updating their materials.

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