“Maps are not innocent drawings”: Africa demands a change in cartography that shows the true size of the continent

“A map is not just a technical tool, it’s a symbol, and symbols matter. For us, correcting the map also means correcting the global narrative about Africa,” says Fara Ndiaye, co-founder and deputy executive director of Speak Up Africa , one of the organizations behind Correct The Map . The African Union (AU) has just endorsed this initiative, which seeks to force governments, international and educational organizations to stop using the Mercator world map in favor of one that more accurately shows the size of Africa , which appears dwarfed on the traditional one.

“It might look like just a map, but it’s not,” AU Commission Vice-Chair Selma Malika Haddadi told Reuters, saying the Mercator fostered the false impression that Africa was “marginal,” despite being the world’s second-largest continent by land area.

Ndiaye believes this endorsement is a historic milestone and sends a powerful political signal. "It's the first time a pan-African institution has taken a clear position on the visual representation of Africa," he explained in a video call with EL PAÍS, adding that this support transforms what was initially "a cultural and civic demand into a continental policy aimed at the entire world."

For Carlos Lopes, a professor at the University of Cape Town and a contributor to Africa No Filter , the other organization behind the initiative, this support is "a sign that Africa refuses to remain a footnote in its own history." In an email exchange, the academic believes that this isn't just a cartographic debate, but rather one of "dignity, education, and even diplomacy." "After all, if your house always appeared tiny on Google Maps , you'd end up wanting it corrected," he adds.

If Africa appears smaller than it is, so does its weight in the imagination of citizens and decision-makers. Correcting the map is not vanity: it is reclaiming reality.

Carlos Lopes, professor at the University of Cape Town and contributor to Africa No Filter

Although these criticisms of the Mercator map are not new, the campaign has reignited the debate at a time of postcolonial rupture and reaffirmation of African identity. Lopes believes the persistence of these distortions has to do with the fact that, “once a worldview takes root, it becomes very comfortable.” However, she believes that “maps are not innocent drawings,” but rather shape how we see ourselves and others: “If Africa appears smaller than it is [in relation to other continents], so does its weight in the imagination of citizens and decision-makers. Correcting the map is not vanity: it is reclaiming reality.”

“Incorrect maps undermine the capacity for action”

In 1569, Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator considered that a new map was needed for navigation, since, as the Earth is spherical, if you drew a straight line on a map to go, for example, from Seville to Cuba, you would deviate, explains British historian Jerry Brotton, author of the book A History of the World in 12 Maps .

His solution was a projection that inevitably distorts: the further north or south you go, the greater the distortion. “I wasn't deliberately minimizing the size of Africa,” says Brotton, who adds that he did this to aid east-west navigation.

“When you look at polar regions like Siberia, northern Canada, or Greenland, they appear greatly magnified. I ask my students to compare the size of Greenland and Africa. In the Mercator projection, the two landmasses appear the same size. However, in reality, Greenland is 14 times smaller,” explains cartographer Bernhard Jenny, a professor at Monash University and co-creator of the Equal Earth projection.

“This is the map we've primarily seen since the 16th century. But I think it's important to note that it had a specific purpose, maritime navigation, not to represent the continents equally. The world has evolved enormously in recent centuries. And it's important that we make sure we update the tools to reflect reality,” Ndiaye explains.

“Children learn from these maps. They grow up thinking Africa is modest in size when, in reality, it's gigantic: larger than the US, China, India, Japan, and much of Europe combined. Perception translates into confidence, and confidence into action. So yes, inaccurate maps undermine the capacity for action,” Lopes emphasizes.

“We also know that this distortion has geopolitical consequences, as maps reinforce the perception of which regions are central and powerful and which are peripheral,” says Ndiaye. “By adopting these fair representations in schools, the media, and international organizations outside of Africa, we are helping to break down these outdated hierarchies and promote a more balanced world,” she adds.

The Mercator projection is still used in technology companies, institutions, and schools, although changes are gradually taking place. In 2018, Google Maps replaced it on its desktop version with a 3D globe , although users can return to the Mercator projection if they prefer. It remains the default on the mobile app . Institutions such as NASA have used projections such as Equal Earth for climate maps, and a World Bank spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that they already use Winkel-Tripel or Equal Earth for static maps and are phasing out Mercator projections from web maps.

The campaign recommends the Equal Earth projection, created in 2018 by Bernhard Jenny, Tom Patterson, and Bojan Šavrič. “We asked ourselves, ‘How come people are still seriously using that [Mercator] projection for world maps?’ We decided we had to do something,” Jenny recalls. With Equal Earth, its creators hope to offer an alternative to traditional projections and help people better understand how the continents are formed.

A global debate on the representation of Africa

The executive director of Speak Up Africa believes that what's at stake isn't just a change in proportion on the world map. "Showing Africa in its true size reinforces pride and confidence among Africans , especially among the younger generation. And that's why I think it's also important that the campaign's first audience be Africans," explains Ndiaye, adding that change must come from within the continent: "When we know exactly who we are and what we stand for in the world, that will facilitate our relationships with others."

By adopting these fair representations in schools, media, and international organizations outside of Africa, we are helping to break down these outdated hierarchies and promote a more balanced world.

Fara Ndiaye, Co-Founder and Deputy Executive Director of Speak Up Africa

However, he emphasizes that correcting the map is not just an African issue, but that this more accurate construction of the world involves us all: “When non-Africans grow up learning from distorted maps, they develop the mistaken perception that Africa is smaller and less significant than it really is.”

The campaign hopes that African education ministries, especially with the support of the AU, will adopt the Equal Earth projection in their curricula. They also advocate for African and international media outlets to use more accurate maps in their publications. They also want to spark a global debate about how Africa is represented in education systems, narratives, and the collective imagination. For Lopes, the change in size "will not erase inequality, but it will help correct a subconscious bias. A fairer map says: the world is round, diverse, and shared."