Mapmakers Challenging Western Bias
The United Nations General Assembly approved a new map projection called the "Equal Earth" with the aim of providing more accurate representation of the relative sizes of continents, particularly Africa, Asia, and Latin America, replacing the famous Mercator projection that shows northern regions as larger than their actual size. This projection was developed in 2018 by a team of cartographers and engineers, and it seeks to minimize distortions in area representation, although all flat projections involve some distortions. The decision was supported by 164 countries, with the United States opposed and six countries abstaining. However, some politically biased versions of the maps have sparked controversy, especially regarding boundaries in regional disputes. It is also noted that the choice of projection depends on the intended purpose, as no map can perfectly represent the globe.
Notice: This Is an AI-Generated Summary
Comments (0)