Latest news with #EqualEarth
See - Sada Elbalad
2 days ago
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
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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First Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
World map doesn't show Africa's true size as second-largest continent, change it, says AU
The African Union (AU) has endorsed a campaign for the worldwide adoption of the 'correct' map of the continent that adequately describes its size. The Mercator map that is widely used incorrectly shrinks Africa to show it as marginal and artificially enlarges areas near the poles like North America and Greenland. A vendor sells a map of Africa along the streets of Bujumbura, Burundi, on April 24, 2015. (Photo: Thomas Mukoya/Reuters) The African Union has backed a campaign to end the use by governments and international organisations of the 16th-century Mercator map of the world in favour 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. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 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 organisations 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. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On the mobile app, however, the Mercator projection remains the default. 'Correct The Map' wants organisations 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'. (This is an agency copy. Except for the headline, this has not been edited by Firstpost staff.)
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Politics
- 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.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
African Union Urges Adoption Of World Map Showing Continent's True Size
London: The African Union has backed a campaign to end the use by governments and international organisations of the 16th-century Mercator map of the world in favour 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 54 nations and over a billion people. 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 organisations 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 Mercator if they prefer. On the mobile app, however, the Mercator projection remains the default. 'Correct The Map' wants organisations 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 the Mercator map's "ideology of power and dominance".
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
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 organisations of the 16th-century Mercator map of the world in favour 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 54 nations and over a billion people. 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 organisations 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 organisations 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'.
