Africa vs. Greenland - time to change your perspective

For almost five centuries, the world has been using a map based on the Mercator projection. Created in 1569 by the Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator, it was intended to facilitate navigation on the seas and oceans. Today, however, it is increasingly emphasized that its arrangement distorts the actual size of the landmasses. Africa is the most damaged - on the map it seems almost the same size as Greenland, while in reality it is fourteen times larger.

This is not just a geographical curiosity. As historians and geographers emphasize, such a representation of the world perpetuates stereotypes and influences the way we perceive global interconnections. “You could fit the United States, China, India, Japan, Mexico and a large part of Europe into Africa and still have some room left,” we read in the #CorrectTheMap petition, which has already been signed by over 11,000 people.

Critics of the Mercator map have been emphasizing for years that its popularity is not only a matter of habit, but also the effect of the so-called cartographic colonialism. Distorting the size of continents – especially those closer to the equator – makes the global South seem less important. This, in turn, activists claim, translates into international economic, educational and political relations.

An alternative to the Mercator map is, among others: Gall–Peters projection, popularized in the 1970s by the German historian Arno Peters. However, it is the modern Equal Earth projection from 2018, created by an international team of cartographers, that is gaining the greatest recognition today. This is what the #CorrectTheMap campaign promotes.

It was Togo, representing 54 member states of the African Union, who initiated the resolution, which the UN will vote on today. Togo's Foreign Minister, Robert Dussey, emphasizes: "This is not a political discussion, but a scientific one. We have scientific evidence, so we should all accept the reality."

"To the question: why now, I answer: why not? It's time to change the narrative. This is the moment for Africa to take responsibility for its own image," says the minister.

Although UN resolutions are not legally binding, their importance is enormous. If the proposal passes, it could mean updating school textbooks, computer programs and even maps in popular apps.

According to analysts, the adoption of the new map may be an important signal for the world. JJ Enoch, a geopolitical risk expert at London-based JS Held, emphasizes: "Adopting an equal-area map would provide a more reliable basis for education and understanding of the world, while also demonstrating that Africa's demographic, economic and geopolitical importance should no longer be diminished by outdated conventions."

If the resolution passes, a special event with the participation of UNESCO, the African Union and technology giants such as Google Maps will be held in the first quarter of next year in the capital of Togo - Lomé. The aim will be to develop a plan to implement the new map in education and technology.