United Nations vote to change maps to more accurately represent size of Africa

The United Nations, which is a group that brings together lots of countries from around the world, has voted to replace the traditional world map with one that more accurately reflects the size of Africa.

This is because people have argued for some time now that the maps we usually see aren't accurate.

The type of map that is often used shows Africa as being much smaller than it actually is, and some people argue that this is discriminatory.

The vote aims to fix a difference on a common type of map known as Mercator, in which the African continent is shown as being of similar size to Greenland - even though it is in reality about 14 times larger.

The resolution, which is the word used to describe a group decision by the UN, was voted through by 164 nations, including France and the UK.

The US was the only nation to vote against it, and six countries didn't vote.

It's thought this decision could affect what's taught in schools around the world, including here in the UK.

Since the 16th Century, we've mostly been using Mercator maps.

It was designed in 1569 by the Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator to help European explorers sail the seas.

It's slightly distorted because it's hard to show a 3D globe on a flat piece of paper.

More than 450 years on, Mercator's creation is still the basis for many of the maps we see in classrooms, on TV and online, including Google Maps.

However, critics of the Mercator map say there is a psychological effect to viewing some places as smaller than they actually are and others as larger, as we naturally view bigger things as more important.

Kenyan geographer Kioko Muendo, told the BBC: "Maps are more than just guides for travellers - they shape how regions are perceived politically and economically."

So in 2018, a team of cartographers (map-makers) designed a new type of world map called the Equal Earth map.

It aims to present the size and shape of landmasses more accurately.

The Equal Earth map was adopted by 54 African Union (AU) members in February.

The AU is a group of African nations, and they said the Equal Earth map "more accurately represents the sizes of all continents, particularly Africa".

Online campaign group, Correct The Map, said: "You could fit the United States, China, India, Japan, Mexico and much of Europe into Africa and still have land to spare."

The UN vote will see changes to the maps used by institutions around the world.

You may be wondering what this means for school - learning about where places are on maps is something you'll likely do in Geography lessons, for example.

In England, no particular map projection is specified in the curriculum, but it might be the case that your teachers choose to do lessons on why these maps are different.

A Scottish Government spokesperson told Newsround that "teachers have the freedom to deliver relevant and engaging learning that is up to date and suits the needs of learners within their local context."

They continued that the UN's decision "will provide valuable opportunities to amplify global citizenship in the curriculum."