Many practical values
On September 4, 2026, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/80/307 on “Correct the Map” with 164 votes in favor, 1 against, and 6 abstentions. The resolution encourages the use of map projections that represent more accurate area relationships, including Equal Earth.
From an expert's perspective, Dr. Nguyen Van Thanh, a lecturer at the Vietnam Women's Academy, assesses that the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of a resolution encouraging the use of Equal Earth and other equal-area projections is a noteworthy development for geography teaching.
However, it is important to understand that the resolution does not prohibit the projection of Mercator, nor does it require countries or schools to replace all existing maps with Equal Earth. The main spirit is to encourage more appropriate representations when reflecting the relative area between regions, while also improving understanding of the limitations of flat maps.
The most significant value of Equal Earth lies in its educational aspect. No single map projection can perfectly represent the Earth's area, shape, distance, and orientation simultaneously on a single plane. Each projection has its own advantages, limitations, and intended use. Equal Earth belongs to the group of equal-area projections, making it advantageous when learners need to observe the relative areas of continents and regions.
This creates an opportunity to innovate the way geography is taught and learned. Instead of simply viewing maps as illustrative tools, teachers can help students understand why the same Earth is depicted differently by various projections; which elements are preserved and which may be distorted. Learners can also compare different projections to choose the map most suitable for their learning objectives.
"In my opinion, this is the crucial pedagogical value. We shouldn't lead students to the simplistic understanding that Equal Earth is correct and Mercator is incorrect. What needs to be developed in them is the ability to read maps, spatial thinking, and the capacity to evaluate geographic information based on purpose, data source, and context of use," emphasized Dr. Nguyen Van Thanh.
Distinguish between projection and the content being represented.
Regarding the use of maps of Vietnam in teaching, according to Dr. Nguyen Van Thanh, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between map projection and the content displayed on a specific map product.
Equal Earth is essentially a method of representing the Earth's surface onto a flat plane. Therefore, the fact that a product uses the Equal Earth projection does not automatically mean that it is suitable for use in schools.
From a lecturer's perspective, the most appropriate principle remains selecting maps from suitable sources, carefully checking the content, and adhering to current professional regulations and guidelines. The choice of projection and the selection of a specific map product to use as teaching material are two issues that need to be considered separately. The United Nations' mapping system itself uses various projections depending on the purpose, rather than prescribing a single projection for all maps.
Dr. Nguyen Van Thanh believes this is an opportunity to enhance students' map-using skills. Teachers can guide students to develop the habit of checking the source, projection, scale, legend, data timing, and content before using a map. This is increasingly necessary as students access geographical information from various sources such as textbooks, newspapers, social media, digital platforms, and AI tools...
"Therefore, I don't see Equal Earth simply as replacing one map with another. The greater educational value lies in the opportunity to shift from teaching students how to read maps to teaching them how to understand maps, evaluate resources, and use geographic information responsibly. This approach is also suitable for the current requirements of developing learners' competencies in geography education," Dr. Nguyen Van Thanh further explained.
Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/ban-do-the-gioi-moi-tao-co-hoi-doi-moi-cach-day-va-hoc-dia-li-post794797.html
