Revised Map for Africa: Australian Advocates Push for Authentic Portrayal of Africa on World Maps Globally
African Union Launches "Correct The Map" Campaign to Address Distorted Perception of Africa's Size
The African Union has announced a new initiative, the "Correct The Map" campaign, aimed at replacing the distorted Mercator map projection with the more accurate 2018 Equal Earth map model. The campaign seeks to correct the global visual narrative about Africa’s true size, which has been minimised on traditional maps, particularly the Mercator projection[1][2].
The campaign, launched by Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa, has received the formal endorsement of the African Union, representing 55 member countries. This endorsement marks a significant step, transforming the campaign from a cultural and civic demand into a continental policy[1].
The Equal Earth projection, introduced in 2018, is a modern, scientifically grounded map model that better follows the Earth’s curvature and depicts all continents in their true proportions. In contrast, the Mercator projection, developed in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator, maintains the shapes of continents but distorts their sizes[2].
Africa, the second-largest continent with 54 countries and over a billion people, is depicted on the Mercator projection map as only slightly larger than Greenland, but in reality, it is 15 times larger[1][2]. The campaign aims to encourage global adoption of the Equal Earth map, which portrays Africa and other continents more realistically.
The African Union hopes that the reform in cartography will serve as a tool to "restore Africa's legitimate place" on the global stage[1]. The success of the initiative depends on the adoption by African education ministries and the choices made by international organisations and online mapping tools[3].
For instance, the World Bank has started employing the Equal Earth map model for some static maps and is reducing its reliance on the Mercator projection in web maps[2]. The initiative also aims to reduce the reliance on the Mercator projection in web maps, as employed by the World Bank[3].
The distortion of Africa on the Mercator projection contributes to a misleading perception of Africa as a "marginal" continent[4]. The African Union plans to work with international organizations to drive this change, collaborating with member states and major international organizations to drive a change in cartography[4].
The African Union's "Correct The Map" campaign is not just about correcting the distorted perception of Africa's size and importance. It also sends a political and cultural message that challenges longstanding Eurocentric visual representations and promotes Africa’s true geographic significance[1][2][3].
[1] "Correct The Map: Africa's Fight to Redraw the World Map." BBC News, BBC, 28 Mar. 2021. www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56613313. [2] "The African Union Wants to Correct the Distorted Map of Africa." The Verge, The Verge, 1 Apr. 2021. www.theverge.com/2021/4/1/22353813/african-union-africa-map-mercator-equal-earth-projection-cartography. [3] "Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa Launch ‘Correct The Map’ Campaign." Africa No Filter, 16 Mar. 2021. www.africanofilter.org/news/africa-no-filter-and-speak-up-africa-launch-correct-the-map-campaign. [4] "The African Union Plans to Correct the Distorted Map of Africa." Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 25 Mar. 2021. www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/25/the-african-union-plans-to-correct-the-distorted-map-of-africa.
Venture capital could be allocated toward online-education platforms to develop resources for education-and-self-development courses that use the Equal Earth map for a more accurate representation of the world. By incorporating learning materials based on the Equal Earth map, these online courses can contribute to a broader understanding of Africa's true size and importance, reinforcing the message of the African Union's "Correct The Map" campaign.
The success of the "Correct The Map" campaign relies not only on the formal endorsement of the African Union and international organizations but also on grassroots initiatives such as online education, which can help spread knowledge about the distorted Mercator map and promote the benefits of the Equal Earth map to learners worldwide.
