The African Union has thrown its weight behind the “Correct The Map” campaign, calling for governments and international organisations to stop using the 16th-century Mercator world map, which it says distorts Africa’s true size and global importance.
Developed by Gerardus Mercator for navigation, the projection greatly enlarges regions near the poles, such as Greenland, while shrinking Africa and South America. AU Commission Deputy Chair Selma Malika Haddadi told Reuters the distortion reinforces the false notion that Africa is “marginal,” despite being the second-largest continent, home to 54 countries and over a billion people.
The campaign, spearheaded by advocacy groups Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa, promotes the Equal Earth projection, launched in 2018, as a fairer representation. Moky Makura of Africa No Filter called Mercator’s enduring influence “the world’s longest-running misinformation campaign.” Fara Ndiaye of Speak Up Africa said the change is key to restoring identity and pride, particularly among African children, and is pushing for Equal Earth to be adopted in school curricula across the continent.
Haddadi said the AU’s support aligns with its mission to “reclaim Africa’s rightful place on the global stage,” amid wider calls for colonial reparations. The AU will lobby for global adoption and coordinate member states’ actions.
While Google Maps replaced Mercator with a 3D globe on desktop in 2018, the mobile version still defaults to Mercator. The campaign has urged bodies like the UN and World Bank to follow suit. The World Bank says it already uses Equal Earth or Winkel-Tripel for most static maps and is phasing out Mercator online.
Support for the initiative extends beyond Africa. Dorbrene O’Marde, Vice Chair of the CARICOM Reparations Commission, endorsed the Equal Earth map, calling it a rejection of the “ideology of power and dominance” embedded in Mercator’s design.