15/08/2025
The African Union’s push to replace the Mercator projection with the Equal Earth projection is more than a cartographic update—it’s a powerful act of reclaiming Africa’s image. For centuries, the Mercator map, created for 16th-century European navigation, has made Africa appear far smaller than it truly is. On paper, it looks only slightly bigger than Greenland; in reality, Africa is 15 times larger. This distortion is not trivial—it subtly reinforces a worldview where Africa appears less significant, feeding into historic narratives of marginality.
The Equal Earth projection, backed by the “Correct The Map” campaign, restores accuracy by showing continents in their true proportions. Introducing it into African school curricula would mean generations of students growing up with a more truthful visual representation of their continent—a quiet but potent shift in how Africans see themselves and how the world sees Africa. Representation on a map may seem symbolic, but symbols shape perceptions, and perceptions influence power.
Changing the world’s map standard won’t be easy—Mercator is deeply embedded in education, media, and digital tools. But embracing Equal Earth is a statement: Africa refuses to be visually diminished. By correcting the map, we begin correcting the narrative—and that is a step toward correcting the balance of global influence.
The African Union wants a new global map standard, arguing that the Mercator projection downplays Africa’s true size. On the Mercator map, Africa appears only slightly larger than Greenland—yet in reality, it’s 15 times bigger. The AU is backing the “Correct The Map” campaign, led by Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa, which promotes the 2018 Equal Earth projection—a world map designed to show continents in their true proportions, providing a fairer picture of the world. The aim is to introduce Equal Earth into African school curricula and encourage its adoption by international organizations.
