African Union Calls for World Map That Accurately Depicts Continent’s Size

Summary
AU aims to reclaim Africa’s global position, supports map change
Mercator map distorts Africa’s size, says AU Commission’s Haddadi
‘Correct The Map’ campaign promotes Equal Earth projection

LONDON/DAKAR, Aug 14 (AfrikTimes) – (This Aug. 14 story has been refiled to clarify the number of AU member states in paragraph 3)

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 true 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 reporters, arguing that the Mercator fosters the false perception that Africa is “marginal,” despite being the world’s second-largest continent by area and home to more than a billion people. The AU counts 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 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.

The African Union has joined a campaign urging global institutions to adopt a map of Africa that more accurately reflects the continent’s size.

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.

A vendor sells a map of Africa along the streets of Bujumbura, Burundi/April 24, 2015.

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 also backing the initiative. Dorbrene O’Marde, vice chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Reparations Commission, endorsed Equal Earth as a rejection of the Mercator’s “ideology of power and dominance.”

Additional reporting by Catarina Demony in London and Ayen Deng Bior in Dakar.