Reclaiming Africa’s space: AU backs push to ditch distorted world map

The African Union (AU) is calling for a global map correction,challenging the centuries-old Mercator projection that drastically shrinks Africa’s size and influence in global perception.

Backed by advocacy groups Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa,the ‘Correct The Map campaign urges the adoption of the 2018 Equal Earth projection to accurately reflect the true size of continents. The Mercator projection,created in the 16th century for navigation,distorts landmasses by enlarging regions near the poles and shrinking those near the equator — including Africa,the world’s second-largest continent by area. AU Commission Deputy Chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi says while this distortion fosters a false impression that Africa is marginal,with consequences in education,media,and policy,the pan-African organization endorses this campaign aimed at “reclaiming Africa’s rightful place on the global stage.”

Moky Makura of Africa No Filter called the Mercator map “the world’s longest-running misinformation and disinformation campaign (that) must stop,” while Fara Ndiaye of Speak Up Africa stressed the impact on African children’s self-perception and identity. The campaign aims to embed the Equal Earth map in African classrooms and push global institutions like the United Nations and World Bank to follow suit. The AU’s support aligns with broader efforts to reclaim Africa’s place on the global stage and seek redress for colonialism and slavery. As momentum builds,the call is clear: geography should no longer reinforce outdated power structures.