Why an African group wants to replace the traditional world map
Related: How the map of the world changed during WWII
The African Union is championing a drive to replace the 16th-century Mercator world map, arguing it inaccurately depicts Africa's true scale.
The Mercator projection distorts continent sizes, inflating areas near the poles while shrinking Africa and South America.
The 'Correct The Map' campaign, supported by the AU and advocacy groups, urges organisations to adopt the 2018 Equal Earth projection, which aims to reflect countries' true sizes.
The campaign seeks to influence media, education, and policy, with plans to promote the Equal Earth projection as the main standard in classrooms and global institutions.
While some organisations like Google Maps (on desktop) and the World Bank are phasing out Mercator, the campaign is pushing for wider adoption by bodies such as the United Nations.
