The United Nations General Assembly has endorsed a new world map aimed at providing a more accurate representation of the size of Africa and other continents.

The resolution, led by Togo and backed by members of the African Union, was approved by 164 countries, while the United States voted against it and six countries abstained, according to the BBC.

The resolution promotes the Equal Earth projection, developed in 2018 as an alternative to the centuries-old Mercator projection, which significantly distorts the size of landmasses, particularly those near the poles.

Under the Mercator projection, Africa can appear roughly comparable in size to Greenland, despite Africa being about 14 times larger.

Developed in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator, the Mercator projection was primarily designed for navigation. Its distortions stem from the challenge of representing the curved surface of the Earth on a flat map.

The Equal Earth projection, created by a team of cartographers, preserves the relative areas of continents more accurately.

The African Union’s 54 member states adopted the projection in February, saying it “more accurately represents the sizes of all continents, particularly Africa”.

Ahead of the UN vote, Togo’s Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey, told Reuters: “A fair world begins with a fair map.”

Dussey also said at a UN briefing that maps were not neutral because they could shape perceptions of the importance, size and development potential of continents and peoples.

Although the General Assembly resolution is non-binding, supporters hope it will encourage governments, schools and other institutions to adopt more geographically accurate maps.

The resolution, however, does not prohibit the continued use of the Mercator projection for navigation, where its properties remain useful.