“Maps shape our understanding of the world1” The traditional Mercator projection enlarges regions farther from the equator, making Africa appear smaller relative to Europe and North America than it actually is. The Equal Earth projection preserves the relative areas of countries and continents, offering a more proportionate view of the globe.
On September 4, 2026, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Correct the Map resolution, encouraging governments, schools, and other institutions to use equal-area maps where accurate size comparisons matter.
This offers an opportunity to see Ota Benga’s homeland more clearly. The Democratic Republic of the Congo covers approximately 905,000 square miles (2.34 million square kilometers)—nearly 30% the total area of the 48 contiguous United States. It is Africa’s second-largest country.
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- Robert Dussey, Togo’s foreign minister, quoted from UN tells the world: Stop making Africa look small | UN News. ↩︎
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