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4h ago

African Union Backs Campaign to Replace Mercator With Equal‑Area World Map

Advocates say correcting area errors will counter decades of misperception about Africa’s size.

FILE - Soldiers look at a world map as they wait to board a flight in Manas, Kyrgyzstan, on the way home after completing a deployment in Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011. (AP Photo/David Goldman, file)
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Mercator projection was developed by the Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in the 16th century
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Overview

  • African Union member states endorsed the Correct the Map effort last week after a 15 August petition urging the world to reject the Mercator projection.
  • The campaign, led by Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa, promotes the Equal Earth projection as a fairer way to show continental proportions.
  • Supporters argue Mercator exaggerates regions near the poles and understates Africa, where the continent is far larger than often depicted.
  • The Equal Earth map, introduced in 2018, is an equal‑area projection that preserves relative sizes while offering a more familiar overall appearance.
  • Despite growing support, Mercator remains common in classrooms and apps, with Google Maps using a 3D globe on desktop since 2018 but defaulting to Mercator on mobile.