African Union Demands New World Map to Show Continent’s True Size

By iNewsAfrica Staff Writer | August 15, 2025

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — The African Union (AU) has thrown its full weight behind a global campaign to replace the distorted 16th-century Mercator map with a projection that accurately reflects Africa’s true size, calling the current version a relic of colonial-era misinformation.

The AU’s endorsement of the “Correct The Map” initiative seeks to end centuries of visual bias that shrink Africa’s presence on classroom walls, in textbooks, and on digital platforms.

“It might seem to be just a map, but in reality, it is not,” AU Deputy Chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi said. “This distortion diminishes Africa’s global standing in the minds of its own people and the world.”

The Mercator projection, designed for navigation, grossly enlarges land masses near the poles—making Greenland appear larger than Africa—while underplaying the continent’s actual vastness. Africa is, in reality, the second-largest continent with over a billion people and immense natural resources.

Equal Earth Projection Gains Momentum

Advocacy groups Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa are pushing for the Equal Earth projection, introduced in 2018, to become the standard in schools and institutions worldwide.

“It’s the world’s longest-running misinformation campaign, and it simply has to stop,” said Moky Makura, Executive Director of Africa No Filter.

Fara Ndiaye, co-founder of Speak Up Africa, added: “Children in Africa internalize these distortions early. Correcting the map is about restoring identity and pride.”

The campaign has already drawn support from the Caribbean Community Reparations Commission and is under review by the UN’s geospatial agency. Tech companies and global institutions such as Google and the World Bank have begun shifting away from the Mercator projection, with some adopting Equal Earth or Winkel Tripel alternatives.

A Shift Beyond Geography

For the AU, this is part of a broader movement to reclaim Africa’s rightful place in global narratives. Leaders say accurate maps are not just about geography—they’re about narrative equity, dignity, and influence.

If adopted worldwide, the Equal Earth projection would give Africa the visual prominence it deserves, reshaping how billions perceive the continent and its role in the world.