The African Union has officially called for the end of the Mercator projection map in schools, international institutions, and media due to what it describes as geographic disinformation that minimizes Africa’s true size. The 55-member body is backing the “Correct the Map” campaign and promoting the Equal Earth projection, a newer mapping standard that more accurately reflects landmass proportions across continents.
The initiative is aimed at reversing centuries of visual distortions that have contributed to cultural and political misconceptions about Africa’s global significance.
The Mercator projection, created in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator for nautical navigation, greatly enlarges land masses closer to the poles while shrinking equatorial regions like Africa. As a result, countries like Greenland appear nearly the size of Africa, despite being over 14 times smaller. The African Union argues that this distortion perpetuates colonial-era perceptions that downplay Africa’s size, importance, and influence.
AU Deputy Chair Selma Malika Haddadi stated that the Mercator map has played a role in fostering a sense of marginalization and invisibility. The Equal Earth projection, introduced in 2018, offers a more proportional view of the world’s continents and has already begun to gain traction in educational and institutional settings.
In addition to African schools, the African Union wants the United Nations and World Bank to adopt the Equal Earth projection for official maps. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has also endorsed the change, describing Mercator as a visual tool of dominance and inequality. Global organizations like the World Bank have already started transitioning away from Mercator for some uses, and Google Maps has integrated a globe view, although the Mercator format remains standard in many applications.
Moky Makura, executive director of the Africa No Filter campaign, referred to the Mercator projection as “the world’s longest-running disinformation campaign.” She argued that revising map standards is not cosmetic, but essential to restoring an accurate image of Africa for future generations.
Supporters of the shift point to the educational impact of maps and the power of visual representation in shaping national identity and geopolitical awareness. Critics of the Mercator system say it promotes a Eurocentric worldview that continues to influence international policy and development priorities.
