New Zealand Definitely Exists. Just Not on Ikea's World Map

It's not the first time the country has been forgotten by cartographers
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 11, 2019 7:51 AM CST
Ikea Just Ghosted New Zealand
Hopefully New Zealand is on this globe.   (Getty Images/Dekdoyjaidee)

Usually when you buy something from Ikea, it's necessary to assemble all of the parts, but a world map should really come preassembled with all of the countries included. At least that's the feeling of New Zealanders, who are a bit miffed that a map from the retailer's "Bjorksta" series left out their island nation altogether. The BBC notes that a Reddit user first pointed out the incomplete map, apparently purchased at a Washington, DC-area Ikea. "What's the deal #IKEA with forgetting an entire country off the world maps you are selling? #NewZealand exists!!!!" one Twitter user remarked.

The BBC and Herald note that this odd omission (and not just via Ikea) seems to be a recurring issue for New Zealand that's even been addressed by the country's prime minister, Jacinda Ardern; the sub-Reddit where this particular instance was flagged is called "Maps Without NZ." Ikea has acknowledged its mistake, noting it's "responsible for securing correct and compliant motifs on all our products. We can see that the process has failed regarding the product Bjorksta world map—we regret this mistake and apologize." It says the map will be "phased out" from all Ikea locations where it's sold, though it still appeared on Ikea's website as of Monday morning. (More Ikea stories.)

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