The African Union (AU) has backed a campaign to end the use of a 16th-century map in favour of one that more accurately displays Africa’s size.
The Mercator projection of the world distorts the sizes of some continents, enlarging areas near the poles like North America and Greenland while shrinking Africa and South America.
This is the map currently used by many governments and international organisations, as well as schools and tech companies.
Google Maps switched from using Mercator on desktops to a 3D globe view in 2018, though users can still switch back to Mercator if they prefer. On the mobile app, Mercator remains the default.
“It might seem to be just a map, but in reality, it is not,” AU commission deputy chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi told the Reuters news agency.
She said the Mercator projection fostered a false impression that Africa was “marginal”, despite being the world’s second-largest continent by area, with over a billion people.
Such stereotypes then influence media, education and policy, Ms Haddadi said.
African is depicted as nearer its truer size in the Equal Earth projection. Pic: Strebe
Why it matters
Criticism of the map is not new, but the debate has recently been revived by the Correct The Map campaign led by advocacy groups Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa.
The campaign urges organisations such as the World Bank and the United Nations to adopt the 2018 Equal Earth projection, which tries to reflect countries’ true sizes.
It is the first time the AU has endorsed the campaign. The union is a key driving force for the continent’s political and economic development.
Ms Haddadi said the AU aligns with the campaign’s goal of “reclaiming Africa’s rightful place on the global stage” amid growing calls for reparations for colonialism and slavery.
The union will now move to advocate for wider map adoption and discuss collective actions with member states.
‘The world’s longest misinformation campaign’
Moky Makura, an author and executive director of Africa No Filter, said the Mercator projection is simply “wrong”.
“It’s the world’s longest misinformation and disinformation campaign, and it just simply has to stop,” she said.
Fara Ndiaye, co-founder of Speak Up Africa, added that the Mercator projection 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,” she said, adding she hoped it would also be the one used by global institutions, including Africa-based ones.
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A World Bank spokesperson said they already use the Equal Earth for static maps and are phasing out Mercator on web maps.
Correct The Map has sent a request to the UN geospatial body, which a UN spokesperson said would be reviewed and approved by a committee of experts.
