Japan, India, Ukraine: Why some countries are uneasy about new UN map | Maps News
UN General Assembly Approves New World Map Projection Amidst Controversy
In a significant decision last week, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to promote the use of new world maps that aim to better reflect the true sizes of continents. The resolution saw support from 164 member states, while six abstained from voting. Notably, the United States was the only country to vote against the measure.
U.S. representative Yaryna Ferencevych criticized the resolution, asserting it undermined the UN’s credibility by diverting attention from pressing global issues. “Instead of focusing on genuine problems, this body is debating map projects from the 16th century,” she remarked.
The resolution supports the Equal Earth projection, developed by researchers in 2018, as a more equitable alternative to the widely used Mercator projection. While the resolution encourages member nations to adopt the Equal Earth version, it does not ban the Mercator projection, which has been criticized for distorting the sizes of land masses—specifically minimizing the scale of Africa in relation to Europe and North America.
Experts have long noted that the Mercator projection exaggerates the size of countries closer to the poles while significantly reducing the apparent size of equatorial nations. For instance, Greenland appears comparable to Africa in size on this projection, despite being able to fit into Africa 14 times over.
Advocates from African nations have pointed out that this distortion perpetuates negative perceptions of the continent. The Equal Earth projection addresses these concerns by providing a more proportionate representation of land masses.
Following the vote, some countries expressed their apprehensions regarding the new map. Ukraine, which abstained from the vote along with five other nations, raised concerns over the depiction of Crimea, arguing that its coloration on the map suggested a closer affiliation with Russia than Ukraine. Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, a move condemned by the UN, Kyiv has maintained strong objections to any characterization that undermines its territorial integrity.
Andrii Melnyk, Ukraine’s permanent representative to the UN, stated, “The new map could open a Pandora’s box that allows for the abuse and distortion of geographic representation.” Ukraine had sought modifications to the map prior to the vote but did not receive a favorable response.
Japan, which supported the resolution, also called for adjustments to the Equal Earth projection after noting that the colors used for Russian territory and the disputed Kuril Islands were identical. The longstanding territorial dispute, originating from the aftermath of World War II, remains contentious between Japan and Russia.
In a statement, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara confirmed that the Japanese government had contacted the creators of the Equal Earth map, expressing the need to prevent any misrepresentation of Japan’s territorial claims.
India, while voting in favor of the new projection, issued a statement through its Ministry of External Affairs emphasizing that any depiction of the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir must align with India’s official maps. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal remarked that the resolution’s encouragement of equal-area projections does not mandate the use of any particular map.
The adoption of the Equal Earth projection has sparked significant dialogue regarding cartographic representation and its implications for international relations, particularly concerning disputed territories. As nations navigate these complexities, the conversation surrounding accurate geographic representation continues to evolve.
