France and UN shift to equal-area maps to correct historical distortions
France’s foreign ministry is replacing the Mercator projection with the Eckert IV projection in diplomatic communications, following a UN General Assembly vote to endorse the Equal Earth map. The UN resolution, passed 164-1 with six abstentions, aims to correct historical distortions that minimize equatorial regions like Africa. While the US opposed the measure as ideological, France and other nations are adopting equal-area maps to reflect true continental sizes, though Mercator remains standard for navigation and digital platforms.