African Union Backs Equal Earth Map To Correct Centuries Of Distorted Views Of Africa

In 1569, Flemish mapmaker Gerardus Mercator introduced a projection that revolutionized navigation but distorted the true size of continents. For centuries, classrooms and atlases depicted Africa as much smaller than its reality. As cartographer Tom Patterson explained, “Maps shape how we remember and understand the world… the kind of misrepresentation in Mercator’s projections can deeply influence how people see the world, and in misleading ways.” For the African diaspora, this distortion has long symbolized how colonial powers minimized Africa’s global significance.

The African Union (AU) recently endorsed the Correct The Map campaign, which seeks to replace Mercator with the Equal Earth projection. Selma Malika Haddadi, AU Commission’s deputy chair, was clear: the Mercator projection misrepresented Africa as “marginal,” when in truth it is the world’s second-largest continent, home to over a billion people. For diaspora communities, this shift is not just technical but political. As Haddadi noted, “It might seem to be just a map, but in reality, it is not.”

Historian Matthew Edney reminded that the Mercator was tied to empire-building, stating, “The weight of the map is thoroughly tied to the connotation it has to marine power, navigation and the support it provided to imperial sentiments.” By exaggerating Europe and shrinking Africa, it visually reinforced colonial hierarchies. This distorted imagery traveled through textbooks, trade routes, and media, shaping generations of thought about global power.

The Equal Earth projection, developed in 2018, offers a more balanced portrayal. Though no flat map is perfect, it restores Africa’s true scale, challenging the centuries-old diminishment of the continent’s role. Fara Ndiaye of Speak Up Africa called the AU’s endorsement “a historic milestone,” adding, “It transforms our cultural demand into a political one.” For the diaspora, this is about reclaiming representation, ensuring children worldwide see Africa as it truly is—vast, central, and foundational.

As Ndiaye emphasized, “It means children in Africa (and across the world) opening a textbook and seeing their continent represented at its true scale. Maps are not neutral. They were never meant to be. It shapes how we learn, how we imagine power, how we see ourselves.”

Link: Washington Post