11 months ago
Campaign Seeks to Change How Africa Is Represented on Maps
Imagine you're trying to draw the world on a flat piece of paper.
Some maps, like the Mercator map, stretch and shrink different parts to make them fit.
The 'Correct the Map' campaign wants to change this.
They're saying that the map we often see makes Africa look much smaller than it is.
They want us to use a map that shows Africa's true size, so people understand how big and important it really is.
This helps to show that Africa is a big part of the world, just like any other continent.
They want kids everywhere to see Africa correctly on maps!
The Mercator map distorts the size of Africa, making it appear smaller than it is.
The 'Correct the Map' campaign aims to promote more accurate map projections, like the Equal Earth projection.
The Equal Earth projection maintains the relative sizes of continents.
The African Union has endorsed the Equal Earth map.
Some argue that size on a map isn't the main factor for global respect.
- Who
- Speak Up Africa, Africa No Filter, and the African Union
- What
- A campaign to change the way Africa is depicted on maps, aiming for a more accurate representation of its size.
- Where
- Globally, but particularly focused on Africa's representation.
- When
- The campaign is ongoing; the Equal Earth projection was launched in 2018 and endorsed by the African Union.
- Why
- To counter the minimizing effect of the Mercator projection and promote a more accurate perception of Africa's size and importance.
Pro-Campaign
Against Campaign/Neutral
Map Accuracy
Pro-Campaign
Advocates argue that the Mercator projection misrepresents Africa's size, affecting perceptions.
Against Campaign/Neutral
Some argue that the Mercator projection serves practical purposes, and its distortions are not necessarily misleading, using bar graphs or tables is the correct method for comparing country sizes.
Global Respect
Pro-Campaign
Campaigners suggest that accurate representation of Africa is linked to global respect.
Against Campaign/Neutral
Some believe that other factors, like economic performance, determine global standing, not map size.
Key facts
- Campaign Name
- Correct the Map
- Campaign Lead
- Speak Up Africa and Africa No Filter
- Map Projection in Focus
- Mercator
- Mercator Distortion
- Exaggerates Northern regions, shrinks Africa
- Alternative Projection
- Equal Earth (endorsed by African Union)
Quotes
Bojan Savric
Cartographer
“Equal Earth preserves the relative surface areas of continents and, as much as possible, shows their shapes as they appear on a globe”
NDTV
“Most mapping software has supported Equal Earth since 2018”
NDTV
Fara Ndiaye
Co-founder of Speak Up Africa
“For centuries, this map has minimised Africa, feeding into a narrative that the continent is smaller, peripheral and less important”
NDTV
“Success will be when children everywhere open their textbooks and see Africa as it truly is: vast, central and indispensable”
NDTV
Mark Monmonier
Syracuse University geography professor
“Any claim that Mercator is flagrantly misleading people seems naive”
NDTV
“If you want to compare country sizes, use a bar graph or table, not a map.”
NDTV
Ed Parsons
Former geospatial technologist at Google
“While a Mercator map may distort the size of features over large areas, it accurately represents small features which is by far the most common use for digital platforms”
NDTV
Sources
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UN Adopts Equal Earth Map to Better Represent Africa
