African Union pushes for new world map that reflects the continent's true size
The African Union supports replacing the Mercator map with a more accurate representation of Africa's size.
The Mercator map distorts land sizes, enlarging areas near the poles while minimizing equatorial regions like Africa.
Advocacy groups have reignited debate, promoting the Equal Earth projection for a fair depiction of continents.
The African Union (AU) has thrown its support behind a campaign to replace the 16th-century Mercator world map with one that more accurately reflects Africa's true size.
Originally developed by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator for maritime navigation, the projection distorts land masses, magnifying regions near the poles, such as North America and Greenland, while shrinking Africa and South America, Reuters reported.
AU Commission deputy chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi says that while it may appear to be just a map, the Mercator projection perpetuates the false impression that Africa is marginal.
In reality, Africa is the world's second-largest continent, home to 54 nations and over a billion people. She said such distortions influence education, media narratives, and policymaking.
Correct the Map campaign gains momentum
While criticism of the Mercator projection is decades old, the debate has been reignited by the Correct The Map campaign, spearheaded by advocacy groups Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa.
The movement urges governments, global institutions, and educators to adopt the 2018 Equal Earth projection, designed to portray the relative sizes of countries and continents more accurately.
'The current size of Africa on the map is wrong. It's the world's longest-running misinformation and disinformation campaign, and it must stop,' said Moky Makura, executive director of Africa No Filter.
Haddadi said the AU's endorsement aligns with its broader goal of 'reclaiming Africa's rightful place on the global stage,' as momentum builds for colonial and slavery reparations. The AU plans to push for broader adoption of the Equal Earth map and coordinate action among member states.
The Mercator projection remains widely used, including in education and technology. While Google Maps replaced Mercator with a 3D globe view on desktop in 2018, it remains the default on mobile.
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CNN
a day ago
- CNN
African Union urges adoption of world map showing continent's true size
The African Union has backed a campaign to end the use by governments and international organizations of the 16th-century Mercator map of the world in favor of one that more accurately displays Africa's size. Created by cartographer Gerardus Mercator for navigation, the projection distorts continent sizes, enlarging areas near the poles like North America and Greenland while shrinking Africa and South America. 'It might seem to be just a map, but in reality, it is not,' AU Commission deputy chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi told Reuters, saying the Mercator fostered a false impression that Africa was 'marginal,' despite being the world's second-largest continent by area, with over a billion people. The AU has 55 member states. Such stereotypes influence media, education and policy, she said. Criticism of the Mercator map is not new, but the 'Correct The Map' campaign led by advocacy groups Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa has revived the debate, urging organizations to adopt the 2018 Equal Earth projection, which tries to reflect countries' true sizes. 'The current size of the map of Africa is wrong,' Moky Makura, executive director of Africa No Filter, said. 'It's the world's longest misinformation and disinformation campaign, and it just simply has to stop.' Fara Ndiaye, co-founder of Speak Up Africa, said the Mercator affected Africans' identity and pride, especially children who might encounter it early in school. 'We're actively working on promoting a curriculum where the Equal Earth projection will be the main standard across all (African) classrooms,' Ndiaye said, adding she hoped it would also be the one used by global institutions, including Africa-based ones. Haddadi said the AU endorsed the campaign, adding it aligned with its goal of 'reclaiming Africa's rightful place on the global stage' amid growing calls for reparations for colonialism and slavery. The AU will advocate for wider map adoption and discuss collective actions with member states, Haddadi added. The Mercator projection is still widely used, including by schools and tech companies. Google Maps switched from Mercator on desktop to a 3D globe view in 2018, though users can still switch back to the Mercator if they prefer. On the mobile app, however, the Mercator projection remains the default. 'Correct The Map' wants organizations like the World Bank and the United Nations to adopt the Equal Earth map. A World Bank spokesperson said they already use the Winkel-Tripel or Equal Earth for static maps and are phasing out Mercator on web maps. The campaign said it has sent a request to the UN geospatial body, UN-GGIM. A UN spokesperson said that once received it must be reviewed and approved by a committee of experts. Other regions are backing the AU's efforts. Dorbrene O'Marde, Vice Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Reparations Commission, endorsed Equal Earth as a rejection of Mercator map's 'ideology of power and dominance.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
African Union backs map campaign showing Africa's true size
The African Union has joined a campaign urging global institutions to adopt a map of Africa that more accurately reflects the continent's size. The Mercator map, widely used since 1599, shows a version of Africa that has been distorted to appear significantly smaller on account of the globe's spherical shape. The 'Correct the Map' campaign promotes a version of the Earth that more accurately reflects its scale, even on a 2-D surface. 'It might seem to be just a map, but in reality, it is not,' AU Commission Deputy Chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi told Reuters, explaining that the map promotes a false idea that Africa is 'marginal.' The African Union's endorsement of the campaign adds to its goals of 'reclaiming Africa's rightful place on the global stage,' Haddadi said, as many nations call for a global reckoning over the long-term effects of colonialism and slavery. Solve the daily Crossword
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business Insider
African Union pushes for new world map that reflects the continent's true size
The African Union (AU) has thrown its support behind a campaign to replace the 16th-century Mercator world map with one that more accurately reflects Africa's true size. The African Union supports replacing the Mercator map with a more accurate representation of Africa's size. The Mercator map distorts land sizes, enlarging areas near the poles while minimizing equatorial regions like Africa. Advocacy groups have reignited debate, promoting the Equal Earth projection for a fair depiction of continents. The African Union (AU) has thrown its support behind a campaign to replace the 16th-century Mercator world map with one that more accurately reflects Africa's true size. Originally developed by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator for maritime navigation, the projection distorts land masses, magnifying regions near the poles, such as North America and Greenland, while shrinking Africa and South America, Reuters reported. AU Commission deputy chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi says that while it may appear to be just a map, the Mercator projection perpetuates the false impression that Africa is marginal. In reality, Africa is the world's second-largest continent, home to 54 nations and over a billion people. She said such distortions influence education, media narratives, and policymaking. Correct the Map campaign gains momentum While criticism of the Mercator projection is decades old, the debate has been reignited by the Correct The Map campaign, spearheaded by advocacy groups Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa. The movement urges governments, global institutions, and educators to adopt the 2018 Equal Earth projection, designed to portray the relative sizes of countries and continents more accurately. 'The current size of Africa on the map is wrong. It's the world's longest-running misinformation and disinformation campaign, and it must stop,' said Moky Makura, executive director of Africa No Filter. Haddadi said the AU's endorsement aligns with its broader goal of 'reclaiming Africa's rightful place on the global stage,' as momentum builds for colonial and slavery reparations. The AU plans to push for broader adoption of the Equal Earth map and coordinate action among member states. The Mercator projection remains widely used, including in education and technology. While Google Maps replaced Mercator with a 3D globe view on desktop in 2018, it remains the default on mobile.
