Africa calls for map to show continent's true size
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The reading
The African Union (AU) has called for an end to a widely used map that shrinks the African continent. The map is called the Mercator projection. It was created by mapmaker Gerardus Mercator in 1569. In the 18th century, it became the international standard for sailors. It is now the world's most widely used map. However, it does not show the true size of different nations. Countries farther away from the Equator look larger than they really are, whereas countries closer to the Equator appear smaller. The AU is supporting a campaign called Correct the Map. It is also calling for a design that shows the correct size of Africa, and of other continents and countries.
The deputy chairperson of the AU spoke about the Mercator map. She told Reuters: "It might seem to be just a map, but in reality, it is not." She said the Mercator gave the impression that Africa was less important. She said Africa is the world's second-largest continent by area and has more than one billion people. The executive director of the non-profit organization Africa No Filter agreed. She said the Mercator map was "the world's longest misinformation and disinformation campaign and it just simply has to stop". The group Speak Up Africa wants people to use the 2018 Equal Earth map, on which "Africa appears 14 times larger than Greenland, as it actually is".
Sources:
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/15/african-union-true-size-world-map-replace-mercator-version
- https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/15/africa/africa-real-size-world-map-campaign-intl
- https://correctthemap.org/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercator_projection
- https://equal-earth.com/
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