Srilanka, Sept. 6 -- The United Nations General Assembly has endorsed a resolution calling for a more accurate representation of the world's continents, potentially changing the way the world map is presented in schools, institutions and digital platforms.

The resolution, adopted on September 4 with 164 countries voting in favour, one against and six abstentions, promotes the use of the Equal Earth projection instead of the widely used Mercator projection. The United States was the only country to vote against the resolution.

The Mercator projection, developed by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, was designed primarily for maritime navigation. However, it significantly exaggerates the apparent size of land areas farther ...