The African Union advocates for an end to the Mercator map's usage by governments and organizations due to its distortion of Africa’s true size. The 16th-century projection inflates areas near the poles while minimizing Africa, creating a false perception of marginality. The Correct the Map campaign, led by Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa, promotes the 2018 Equal Earth projection, aiming for its adoption in educational curricula and by global institutions. The objective is to correct longstanding misconceptions and bolster African pride and identity among its populations.
The Mercator map distorts continent sizes, enlarging areas near the poles while shrinking Africa and South America. This false representation influences media, education, and policy.
Haddadi emphasized that the Mercator map fosters a false impression of Africa as marginal, despite the continent's large area and population, calling for a new standard.
The campaign aims to replace the Mercator projection with the 2018 Equal Earth projection, which accurately reflects the true sizes of countries.
The Mercator map is described as the world's longest misinformation campaign, with calls to adopt more accurate representations to promote African identity and pride.
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