Key points
- AU supports Equal Earth projection
- Campaign challenges outdated global perceptions
- Map size distortion affects Africa’s image
ISLAMABAD: Africa is around three times larger than Europe, but this is not obvious on the widely used Mercator map, created in the 16th century. The African Union (AU), representing 55 nations, has now backed a global campaign to replace the Mercator projection with more accurate alternatives, such as the 2018 Equal Earth map, which better reflects the true scale of Africa.
HISTORY IS HEGEMONY: AFRICAN UNION URGES ADOPTION OF WORLD MAP SHOWING CONTINENT’S TRUE SIZE
✅Greenland is just the size of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DCR); Algeria 10% larger than Greenland!. But on the flawed 1560s Mercartor projection (which is still used to date) it… pic.twitter.com/6s2BChZEGf
— Theo Acheampong, PhD (@mytheoz) August 16, 2025
On the Equal Earth map, Africa appears much larger than Europe, as it truly is. Selma Malika Haddadi, deputy chairwoman of the AU’s executive body, told the media that the Mercator map promotes the misleading idea that Africa is insignificant, according to The New York Times.
#WorldOfAfrica | African Union is backing calls to correct how Africa is represented on the world map. Advocates say the widely used Mercator projection distorts the continent’s true size, shrinking Africa while enlarging regions like Europe & North America.@eriknjoka reports pic.twitter.com/kLZ891IHtz
— WION (@WIONews) August 19, 2025
Although designed for navigation by the German cartographer Gerardus Mercator, the map distorts the size of landmasses—making Greenland, for instance, look similar in size to Africa, despite being more than ten times smaller in reality.
Gaining pop culture attention
The issue gained pop culture attention in a 2001 episode of The West Wing, where a group of map enthusiasts campaigned for change. Today, organisations like Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa are leading a similar movement under the “Correct the Map” campaign.
“The size of Africa on the world map is wrong. It’s the longest-running misinformation campaign in history.” —Moky Makura, Africa No Filter
On the map most of us grew up with, Greenland looks as big as Africa.
In reality, Africa is 14 times larger.The African Union is pushing… pic.twitter.com/HjYqd6jmF7
— FlyingBeagle (@FlyingBeagle_) August 15, 2025
Their aim is for the AU—and global institutions like the UN and BBC—to adopt the Equal Earth map, challenging outdated representations.
Campaigners view the AU’s endorsement as a significant step. The bloc is expected to make a formal decision in February at its summit in Ethiopia. According to Fara Ndiaye of Speak Up Africa, the issue is not just geographical but also about dignity and global perception.
Africans are rising up against the flawed world map that distorts the true size of their continent, making some Western countries appear larger than the entire African continent.
The African Union is backing a campaign to replace the widely used 16th-century Mercator map with a… pic.twitter.com/8DGKgBs3Ck
— TRT Afrika (@trtafrika) August 15, 2025
The campaign aligns with AU’s 2025 theme focused on justice and reparations. However, as of Monday, several AU-affiliated websites still featured the Mercator map.
