UN changes map conventions that made Africa look smaller
By The BriefBrief
The UN has changed how Africa is shown on the world’s most-used map, correcting a long-standing distortion that made the continent appear smaller than it is. The update reflects a shift in the cartographic approach used for widely circulated global mapping.
WHO:United Nations (UN)
WHAT:Changed how Africa is depicted on a widely used world map
WHEN:Reported Sep 8, 2026 at 7:07 PM ET
WHERE:Location not specified
WHY:To correct a long-standing map distortion that made Africa look smaller than its real size.
How this story developed (showing 9 of 9 earlier reports)
