I was reading Semafor this morning and see that the African Union has resurrected interest in a campaign urging global institutions to adopt a map of Africa that more accurately reflects the continent's size.
The Mercator projection (in use since 1599) created by cartographer Gerardus Mercator for navigation, distorts continent sizes – enlarging regions near the poles like North America and Greenland while shrinking Africa and South America. This has reinforced a Eurocentric or Western worldview, making Europe and North America appear more important while minimising Africa and the Global South. Such distortions shape cultural and political perception, influencing how history, economics, and geopolitics are interpreted. They also impact education and media, where Africa is often perceived as smaller and less significant, leading to stereotypes that undervalue its true diversity, resources, and policy in relation to the global role the continent plays.
The “Correct the Map” campaign promotes a version of the Earth that more accurately reflects its scale, even on a 2-D surface. “It might seem to be just a map, but in reality, it is not,” AU Commission Deputy Chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi told Reuters, explaining that the map promotes a false idea that Africa is “marginal.” The African Union’s endorsement of the campaign adds to its goals of “reclaiming Africa’s rightful place on the global stage,” Haddadi said, as many nations call for a global reckoning over the long-term effects of colonialism and slavery.
In a related topic, Al Jazeera featured an interesting article entitled Ever wonder why Africa’s borders appear so strange? I can't say I ever considered them strange but understanding the basis of national boundaries often reveals surprising insights. 99% in their episode 'Full Spectrum' actually discussed the Caprivi Strip and its origins.
