The Need for a More Accurate World Map: African Union's Advocacy

1. Why does the African Union want to redraw the world map?

The current world map (Mercator projection) significantly underrepresents Africa’s true size. This creates a misleading impression that Africa is smaller and less important than it actually is.

2. What is the Mercator projection?

The Mercator projection, created in the 1500s by Gerardus Mercator, was designed for sailors to navigate oceans. While useful for navigation, it distorts the actual sizes of countries and continents.

3. How does the Mercator projection mislead us?

It stretches areas near the North and South Poles, making countries like Greenland and Norway appear huge, while Africa, which is far larger, appears much smaller than its true size.

4. What is the Equal Earth projection?

The Equal Earth projection is a modern map design that displays continents in their correct proportions. It provides a more accurate visual representation of Africa and other regions.

5. Why does this matter for Africa?

Maps influence how people perceive the world. By underrepresenting Africa, the Mercator projection reduces its perceived significance. Correcting the map helps strengthen Africa’s global identity and supports calls for fairer treatment.

6. Who supports this change?

The African Union, advocacy campaigns like "Speak Up Africa," and some technology companies (e.g., Google) are being encouraged to adopt the Equal Earth or similar fairer map projections.

7. Does changing the map rewrite history?

No. Updating the map does not erase history. It simply replaces a sailor-friendly but misleading map with one that accurately represents country and continent sizes.

8. How will this affect ordinary people?

Students will learn a more accurate view of the world. Africa’s true role will be better recognized, and the public will develop a clearer understanding of global geography without distortion.

9. What does the African Union call this effort?

The African Union views this as a political and symbolic step: correcting historical bias and ensuring Africa is represented fairly in the global imagination.

10. What is the bigger lesson from this debate?

Maps are more than just geographic tools. They shape perceptions, influence power, and can affect politics and identity. Correcting them contributes to a fairer understanding of the world.

“A map is not just a picture—it is a lens through which we see the world and our place in it.”