African Union Endorses ‘Correct the Map’ Campaign

In August 2025, the African Union (AU) formally endorsed the ‘Correct the Map’ campaign, calling for the replacement of the Mercator map projection with fairer alternatives such as the Equal Earth projection.

The Problem with the Mercator Map

• Origins in Navigation: Designed in 1569 by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator to help sailors plot rhumb lines (straight compass bearings), the map was a navigational breakthrough for European explorers.
• Scale Distortion: To preserve direction and shape, Mercator stretched areas near the poles. This makes Europe, North America, and Greenland appear far larger than they are, while diminishing equatorial regions like Africa, South America, ....