ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – The African Union (AU) has endorsed a global campaign calling for governments and international organizations to abandon the centuries-old Mercator map, arguing it distorts Africa’s true size and global significance.
First drawn in the 16th century by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator for navigation, the projection has long been criticized for inflating landmasses near the poles—such as Europe, North America and Greenland—while shrinking continents like Africa and South America.
AU Commission deputy chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi said the inaccuracies were not harmless, but instead reinforced harmful stereotypes.
“It might seem to be just a map, but in reality, it is not,” Haddadi told Reuters. “The Mercator projection fosters a false impression that Africa is marginal, despite being the world’s second-largest continent, home to more than a billion people.”
The AU’s position follows the launch of the “Correct The Map” campaign, spearheaded by advocacy groups Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa.
The initiative urges institutions to adopt the Equal Earth projection, unveiled in 2018, which more accurately represents the relative sizes of continents.
Moky Makura, executive director of Africa No Filter, described the Mercator projection as “the world’s longest misinformation campaign.”
“The current size of the map of Africa is wrong. It has simply got to stop,” she said.
Her sentiments were echoed by Fara Ndiaye, co-founder of Speak Up Africa, who warned that distorted maps harm children’s identity and pride from an early age.
“We’re promoting a curriculum where the Equal Earth projection becomes the standard in all African classrooms. We also want it to be adopted by global organisations, especially those operating in Africa,” Ndiaye said.
The AU said supporting the initiative aligns with its broader mission to “reclaim Africa’s rightful place on the global stage,” particularly amid renewed debates on colonial legacies and reparations.
Member states are expected to discuss collective action to push for widespread adoption.
Despite long-standing criticism, the Mercator projection remains widely used by schools, governments, and tech companies.
Google Maps replaced Mercator with a 3D globe on desktop in 2018, but the projection is still the default on its mobile app.
Advocates want institutions such as the World Bank and United Nations to commit fully to phasing out Mercator.
A World Bank spokesperson confirmed the organization already uses Equal Earth and Winkel-Tripel projections for most maps and is gradually discontinuing Mercator for web maps.
The campaign has also written to the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM). A UN spokesperson said the request would be reviewed upon receipt.
Support is growing beyond Africa. Dorbrene O’Marde, vice chair of the CARICOM Reparations Commission, endorsed the Equal Earth map, calling the Mercator projection a tool of “power and dominance.”
With the AU now formally backing the push, campaigners believe momentum is building to correct centuries of cartographic distortion—and restore Africa to its true scale on the world map.
