THE MERCATOR MAP – A COLONIAL LIE THAT SHRANK AFRICA, THEN DIVIDED IT
The 1569 Mercator map did not merely misrepresent Africa's size—it mutilated its dignity and incapacitated its destiny. From the moment Gerardus Mercator shrank Africa on paper, the continent was deliberately diminished in the eyes of the world.
And, 300 years later, at the Berlin Conference of 1884, the very powers who first made Africa look small went further: they divided it into small, weak states under their control, designed to feed their industrialisation drive in Europe.
Now, more than 500 years later, the African Union has begun reclaiming truth by endorsing the Equal Earth projection, a map that finally restores Africa's true scale. This is not just about cartographic accuracy—it is an act of liberation. It is about tearing down the lies that shrank us on paper, then broke us apart in practice.
Cartographic Colonialism
The Mercator projection was never neutral. It was designed for conquest. It bloated Europe by over 300% while crushing Africa into irrelevance. 'It might seem to be just a map, but in reality, it is not,' AU Deputy Chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi warned, noting how its distortion made 55 African nations look marginal.
The deception went beyond ink. The rulers and compasses of 1884 carved kingdoms, trade routes, and ecosystems into fragments. Today, 60% of Africa's borders are still straight lines—scars of Berlin's arrogance—scars that have spawned wars from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa.
Reclaiming Scale, Restoring Dignity
The Equal Earth projection is more than geography—it is justice. It restores Africa as the giant it truly is: vast, rich, and unshrinkable. But a map correction alone will not free us. True liberation demands tearing down the colonial borders that still restrict our opportunities and choke our prosperity.
Think of the absurdity: in 2025, trucks still queue for 72 hours at artificial checkpoints while Africans are still denied entry to African countries, where Europeans visiting do not require entry visas. How can the African Continental Free Trade Area thrive on such fractured foundations?
A New Cartography, A New Urgency
The AU's endorsement of Equal Earth echoes the heartbeat of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want—borderless, whole, and strong. But maps alone will not save us. Words alone will not unite us. Action must. Urgency must. Will must. We can and we must!
The borders drawn in 1884 were not drawn for Africans; they were drawn against us. If the Mercator map falls, so too must Berlin's borders.
At the Africa Prosperity Network, we are committed to mobilising Africa's private sector—the entrepreneurs, the builders, the wealth creators—to own and drive this historic task. Governments may sign protocols, but only Africa's people (over 1.5 billion of us in Africa and across the globe), powered by business, can finally dismantle these invisible chains and make Africa truly borderless.
The Call
For over 60 years, our leaders have spoken of African unity. Nkrumah called for it. Nyerere warned of the cost of delay. Generations have dreamed it.
The time has come for Africa to reclaim its actual size—on the map and in the world—and to erase the borders that constrain us from becoming the economic power we should be.
The Mercator map shrank Africa. The Berlin Conference divided Africa. The Equal Earth projection restores Africa. But only Africans can liberate Africa.
Let us not correct the map only. Let us correct history. Let us make Africa borderless—now.
The author is the Founder and Executive Chairman of the Africa Prosperity Network, organisers of the annual Africa Prosperity Dialogues in Accra and the Global Africa Forum in New York. He is also the Senior Partner of Africa Legal Associates (ALPi Ghana), a Pan-African corporate law firm with offices in 9 African countries.
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THE MERCATOR MAP – A COLONIAL LIE THAT SHRANK AFRICA, THEN DIVIDED IT
By Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, Founder, Africa Prosperity Network The 1569 Mercator map did not merely misrepresent Africa's size—it mutilated its dignity and incapacitated its destiny. From the moment Gerardus Mercator shrank Africa on paper, the continent was deliberately diminished in the eyes of the world. And, 300 years later, at the Berlin Conference of 1884, the very powers who first made Africa look small went further: they divided it into small, weak states under their control, designed to feed their industrialisation drive in Europe. Now, more than 500 years later, the African Union has begun reclaiming truth by endorsing the Equal Earth projection, a map that finally restores Africa's true scale. This is not just about cartographic accuracy—it is an act of liberation. It is about tearing down the lies that shrank us on paper, then broke us apart in practice. Cartographic Colonialism The Mercator projection was never neutral. It was designed for conquest. It bloated Europe by over 300% while crushing Africa into irrelevance. 'It might seem to be just a map, but in reality, it is not,' AU Deputy Chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi warned, noting how its distortion made 55 African nations look marginal. The deception went beyond ink. The rulers and compasses of 1884 carved kingdoms, trade routes, and ecosystems into fragments. Today, 60% of Africa's borders are still straight lines—scars of Berlin's arrogance—scars that have spawned wars from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa. Reclaiming Scale, Restoring Dignity The Equal Earth projection is more than geography—it is justice. It restores Africa as the giant it truly is: vast, rich, and unshrinkable. But a map correction alone will not free us. True liberation demands tearing down the colonial borders that still restrict our opportunities and choke our prosperity. Think of the absurdity: in 2025, trucks still queue for 72 hours at artificial checkpoints while Africans are still denied entry to African countries, where Europeans visiting do not require entry visas. How can the African Continental Free Trade Area thrive on such fractured foundations? A New Cartography, A New Urgency The AU's endorsement of Equal Earth echoes the heartbeat of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want—borderless, whole, and strong. But maps alone will not save us. Words alone will not unite us. Action must. Urgency must. Will must. We can and we must! The borders drawn in 1884 were not drawn for Africans; they were drawn against us. If the Mercator map falls, so too must Berlin's borders. At the Africa Prosperity Network, we are committed to mobilising Africa's private sector—the entrepreneurs, the builders, the wealth creators—to own and drive this historic task. Governments may sign protocols, but only Africa's people (over 1.5 billion of us in Africa and across the globe), powered by business, can finally dismantle these invisible chains and make Africa truly borderless. The Call For over 60 years, our leaders have spoken of African unity. Nkrumah called for it. Nyerere warned of the cost of delay. Generations have dreamed it. The time has come for Africa to reclaim its actual size—on the map and in the world—and to erase the borders that constrain us from becoming the economic power we should be. The Mercator map shrank Africa. The Berlin Conference divided Africa. The Equal Earth projection restores Africa. But only Africans can liberate Africa. Let us not correct the map only. Let us correct history. Let us make Africa borderless—now. The author is the Founder and Executive Chairman of the Africa Prosperity Network, organisers of the annual Africa Prosperity Dialogues in Accra and the Global Africa Forum in New York. 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