advocating instead for a map that more accurately reflects Africa’s true size. Created by cartographer Gerardus Mercator for navigation, the projection distorts the relative size of continents—enlarging areas near the poles such as North America and Greenland, while shrinking Africa and South America.

“It might seem to be just a map, but in reality, it is not,” AU Commission Deputy Chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi told Reuters, noting that the Mercator projection fosters a false impression of Africa as “marginal” despite it being the world’s second-largest continent by area and home to over a billion people. The AU has 55 member states. Such perceptions, she added, influence media, education, and policy.

Criticism of the Mercator map is not new, but the Correct The Map campaign—led by advocacy groups Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa—has revived the debate. The initiative urges adoption of the 2018 Equal Earth projection, which seeks to portray countries at their true scale. “The current size of the map of Africa is wrong,” said Moky Makura, executive director of Africa No Filter. “It’s the world’s longest-running misinformation and disinformation campaign, and it simply has to stop.”

Fara Ndiaye, co-founder of Speak Up Africa, said the Mercator projection affects Africans’ sense of identity and pride, particularly among children first exposed to it in school. “We’re actively working on promoting a curriculum where the Equal Earth projection will be the main standard across all African classrooms,” Ndiaye said, adding that she hoped global institutions—including Africa-based ones—would also adopt it.

Haddadi confirmed the AU’s endorsement of the campaign, saying it aligns with the union’s goal of “reclaiming Africa’s rightful place on the global stage” amid growing calls for reparations for colonialism and slavery. The AU plans to advocate for wider adoption of the Equal Earth projection and discuss collective action with member states.

The Mercator projection remains widely used, including in schools and by tech companies. Google Maps switched from Mercator to a 3D globe view on its desktop platform in 2018, though users can still revert to Mercator. On the mobile app, the Mercator projection remains the default.

Correct The Map is calling on organizations such as the World Bank and the United Nations to adopt Equal Earth. A World Bank spokesperson said the institution already uses the Winkel Tripel or Equal Earth projections for static maps and is phasing out Mercator in its web maps. The campaign said it has formally requested a review by the UN’s geospatial body, UN-GGIM. A UN spokesperson confirmed the request would need to be evaluated and approved by a committee of experts.

Other regions are supporting the AU’s push. Dorbrene O’Marde, vice chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Reparations Commission, endorsed the Equal Earth projection, calling it a rejection of the Mercator map’s “ideology of power and dominance.” (CNN)