Africa Defies Distorted World View
The African Union (AU) has rallied behind an initiative to dethrone the 16th-century Mercator world map, which has for centuries been a target of criticism for portraying a distorted view of the sizes of continents. Initially designed by cartographer Gerardus Mercator with the purpose of facilitating navigation, the projection makes regions closer to the poles North America and Greenland, for instance appear larger, while significantly compressing Africa and South America.
AU Commission Deputy Chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi informed Reuters that the problem is not trivial. “It may appear to be only a map, but it is not,” she said. The Mercator creates a false perception that Africa is on the periphery, when in fact it is the world’s second largest continent with 54 countries and more than a billion inhabitants, Haddadi said. Such distortions, she added, have an impact on education, media, and policy-making.
‘Correct The Map’ Campaign Picks Up Steam
The campaign, led by activist organizations Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa, is calling on organizations to take up the 2018 Equal Earth projection, which more accurately represents countries’ actual sizes. Moky Makura, executive director at Africa No Filter, labeled the Mercator “the world’s longest misinformation and disinformation campaign” and called for it to end.
Fara Ndiaye, co-founder of Speak Up Africa, highlighted the psychological impact on Africans, particularly children who see the distorted map in classrooms. “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 that the campaign hopes global institutions, including those based in Africa, will follow suit.
Reclaiming Africa’s Place on the Map
The AU’s support is in line with its larger role of restoring Africa’s “rightful place on the global map,” as demands for colonialism and slavery reparations grow. Haddadi attested to the AU going global to promote the Equal Earth projection and collaborating with member states on adopting collective strategies.
Although Google Maps departed from Mercator on the desktop in 2018 by providing a 3D globe view, the mobile app persists in using Mercator. The World Bank indicates that it has already transitioned to Winkel-Tripel or Equal Earth for static maps and is in the process of discontinuing Mercator for web maps. The campaign has further lobbied the UN geospatial organization to make Equal Earth an official choice a plan that will be reviewed by experts.
The AU’s initiative has found supporters outside of Africa. Dorbrene O’Marde, Caribbean Community Reparations Commission Vice Chair, described Equal Earth as a repudiation of the Mercator’s “ideology of power and dominance.”
As Africa spearheads efforts to remap the world, the campaign believes its reform of the map will do more than set geography right it seeks to remake global vision and restore a measure of balance long in arrears.
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