By Rene Anthere Rwanyange
African countries are backing a United Nations initiative to move away from the centuries-old Mercator world map, arguing that the widely used projection has long distorted the true size of Africa and other regions near the equator.
The UN General Assembly is expected to vote on a resolution spearheaded by Togo and supported by the African Union and its member states, according to The Guardian.
The proposal seeks to promote the use of map projections that more accurately represent the relative size of continents and countries, including the Equal Earth projection.
Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey said the debate should be viewed as a matter of scientific accuracy. “This discussion is not a political discussion [but] a scientific discussion, because there is scientific proof so we all have to accept the reality,” Dussey said, as quoted by The Guardian.
The Mercator projection, created in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator, was originally designed to assist maritime navigation. However, its projection distorts the size of land masses, making areas closer to the poles appear larger while reducing the apparent size of regions around the equator.
Africa is one of the biggest examples of this distortion. While it can appear close in size to Greenland on some Mercator maps, Africa is about 14 times larger.
Supporters of the #CorrectTheMap campaign argue that the issue goes beyond geography. They say the way Africa has been represented on world maps has influenced global perceptions of the continent’s size and importance.
The African Union endorsed the campaign in August 2025 and asked Togo to lead international efforts for its adoption, The Guardian reported.
For African countries, the campaign is part of a broader push for greater control over how the continent is represented in global education, technology and international institutions.
Dussey said it was time for Africa to take responsibility for changing its own narrative. “When we look at the world map … it is time for us to change the narrative,” he said, according to The Guardian.
A UN resolution would not automatically replace Mercator maps around the world, but supporters believe it could encourage changes in school curricula, government institutions and digital mapping platforms.
For Africa, the campaign carries a message that extends beyond cartography: the world should see the continent as it truly is—vast in size and increasingly important in global affairs.
