America casts lone vote against UN push for Equal Earth map

The United States was the only country to vote against a United Nations resolution promoting the Equal Earth map projection, according to The Washington Star.

The resolution was overwhelmingly approved by the UN General Assembly, with African countries reportedly leading efforts to promote the alternative projection to the centuries-old Mercator map. The Equal Earth projection is designed to represent the relative sizes of continents more accurately.

The development has sparked debate over whether map projections should be viewed primarily as technical tools or through broader cultural and political perspectives. The Washington Star reported the vote on September 7, 2026, in an article by journalist Mark A. Kellner.