The African Union has endorsed Togo’s push to replace the Mercator projection—the globally dominant map dating to 1569—with the Equal Earth projection, which more accurately depicts continental landmasses. The decision follows growing recognition that the Mercator map dramatically understates Africa’s size: Greenland appears nearly as large as Africa, despite Africa being 14 times larger. Advocates argue this distortion subtly diminishes Africa’s perceived economic and geopolitical significance, shaping how the continent is treated in global negotiations. Togo plans to raise the topic at the United Nations General Assembly in September. If successful, the campaign will help African nations reclaim their geographic and narrative sovereignty, challenging deeply ingrained global biases that diminish the continent.
RFI
