IBGE Unveils Inverted World Map Centering Pará for COP30

Overview

• Posted on the IBGE’s social channels on November 11–12, the map places Belém and Pará at the center with the Southern Hemisphere at the top and highlights the Amazon and the so-called Blue Amazon.
• An accompanying technical note argues there is no technical requirement for conventional orientation, stating the inverted view is as correct as traditional projections.
• IBGE president Márcio Pochmann links the design to a shift away from eurocentric cartography and to the rise of the Global South.
• Union representatives and some staff renewed criticism, saying the symbolic approach distorts information and risks the institute’s credibility.
• An official presentation is scheduled for Thursday at the Federal University of Pará, featuring a printed banner measuring about 4 by 2 meters.