A new map projection changes the global conversation

[KJG] Some years ago I was in a meeting with Sierra Club of BC leaders. Along one side of the room was a very large digital printer. I enquired why they required such a large device. They explained that if they arrived at a meeting with a map, their own map, they often controlled the conversation. I have found this to be true for myself over the years. We cannot change the physical dimensions of shared space; but we can alter the perceptions associated with size and proximity. For centuries now, Mercator projections have convinced us all of the primacy of the global north over the global south. Such a notion met our colonial needs. It’s time to present land images differently.

Thanks to Rick McCutcheon for the reference.

---

The United Nations General Assembly has backed a new world map designed to show the relative sizes of continents more accurately.

The resolution promotes the Equal Earth projection, a map created in 2018 that preserves the relative surface areas of continents far better than the traditional Mercator projection.

The vote was overwhelming: 164 countries supported the resolution, the United States voted against it, and six countries abstained.

On a Mercator map, areas near the poles appear much larger than they actually are. Greenland, for example, can appear roughly comparable in size to Africa, even though Africa is about 14 times larger.

Equal Earth changes that visual relationship. Africa, Latin America, South Asia and Oceania appear substantially larger, while Europe and North America appear smaller in comparison.

But there is an important detail: the United Nations did not ban the Mercator projection or legally require countries to replace it. The resolution is non-binding and encourages governments, educational institutions and organizations to consider more accurate equal-area maps.

The reason this matter is simple: maps don’t change the size of continents, but they can change how we perceive the world.

Visit the takenote.ca HOME page for a colourful display of hundreds of other blogs which may interest or inspire you