Mercator vs Equal Earth — compare the world maps
Hover a country to highlight it on both projections. Tap one to see its true area and how much the Mercator map exaggerates it.
Mercator (1569 — size distorted)
Equal Earth (2018 — true sizes)
Exaggeration = how many times larger the country is drawn on Mercator compared with its true size, relative to countries on the equator (≈ 1/cos²latitude). Antarctica's is effectively infinite and is clamped. Areas computed from 1:110m Natural Earth boundaries are approximate.
The UN just voted to retire the Mercator map
In September 2026 the United Nations General Assembly passed the Correct the Map resolution 164 to 1, endorsing the Equal Earth projection as the reference world map. The campaign, led by Togo and the African Union, argues that Mercator's size distortions shrink Africa, South America and South Asia on the maps used in classrooms, newsrooms and digital platforms — a distortion often called "cartographic injustice."
Mercator was designed in 1569 for sailors: it keeps compass bearings straight, which is why it survived for nearly 500 years. The trade-off is that it stretches area near the poles. On Mercator, Greenland and Africa look roughly the same size. In reality, Africa is about 14 times larger than Greenland.
How to read the two maps above
Both maps show the same countries with the same hover-and-select behaviour. The left map (Mercator) keeps familiar shapes but inflates everything toward the poles — Canada, Russia, Greenland and Antarctica balloon while equatorial countries shrink. The right map (Equal Earth) shows every country at its true relative area.
Try tapping Greenland, then Brazil or the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Greenland is drawn many times its true size on Mercator, while Brazil — which on Mercator looks smaller than Greenland — is in fact larger than Greenland by more than four times.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Equal Earth projection?
Equal Earth is an equal-area world map projection created in 2018. It shows every country at its true relative size while keeping the world looking recognizably like a traditional map. On it, Africa appears about 14 times the size of Greenland, which matches reality.
Why did the UN vote to replace the Mercator map?
In September 2026 the UN General Assembly voted 164 to 1 to back the Correct the Map resolution, moving away from Mercator toward the Equal Earth projection. Mercator inflates areas near the poles, making Europe, North America and Russia look far larger than Africa, South America and South Asia really are.
Is the Mercator projection wrong?
Mercator is not wrong for its original purpose: navigation. It keeps compass bearings as straight lines, which is why sailors have used it since 1569. But it preserves shape at the cost of size, so it distorts area badly the farther a country is from the equator.
How much bigger does Greenland look on a Mercator map?
On a Mercator map Greenland looks about the same size as Africa. In reality Africa is about 14 times larger than Greenland. Hover or tap Greenland on the maps above to see its exact area exaggeration.