African Union joins calls to end use of Mercator map that shrinks Africa's size
8 days ago
- #Mercator Map
- #African Union
- #Equal Earth Projection
- The African Union supports a campaign to replace the Mercator map with one that accurately represents Africa's size.
- The Mercator projection distorts continent sizes, making areas near the poles appear larger and shrinking Africa.
- The campaign, led by Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa, promotes the Equal Earth projection for accurate representation.
- Critics argue the Mercator map fosters stereotypes and misinformation about Africa's size and significance.
- The African Union aims to advocate for wider adoption of accurate maps and discuss collective actions with member states.
- Google Maps switched to a 3D globe view in 2018 but still allows users to revert to the Mercator projection.
- The campaign urges organizations like the World Bank and the UN to adopt the Equal Earth map.
- The Caribbean Community Reparations Commission supports the AU's efforts, endorsing Equal Earth as a rejection of Mercator's 'ideology of power and dominance'.