The African Union (AU) has backed a marketing campaign to finish using a Sixteenth-century map in favour of 1 that extra precisely shows Africa’s measurement.
The Mercator projection of the world distorts the sizes of some continents, enlarging areas close to the poles like North America and Greenland whereas shrinking Africa and South America.
That is the map at the moment utilized by many governments and worldwide organisations, in addition to faculties and tech firms.
Google Maps switched from utilizing Mercator on desktops to a 3D globe view in 2018, although customers can nonetheless swap again to Mercator if they like. On the cellular app, Mercator stays the default.
She mentioned the Mercator projection fostered a misunderstanding that Africa was “marginal”, regardless of being the world’s second-largest continent by space, with over a billion folks.
Such stereotypes then affect media, training and coverage, Ms Haddadi mentioned.
Picture:
African is depicted as nearer its more true measurement within the Equal Earth projection. Pic: Strebe
Why it issues
Criticism of the map isn’t new, however the debate has not too long ago been revived by the Right The Map marketing campaign led by advocacy teams Africa No Filter and Converse Up Africa.
The marketing campaign urges organisations such because the World Financial institution and the United Nations to undertake the 2018 Equal Earth projection, which tries to replicate nations’ true sizes.
It’s the first time the AU has endorsed the marketing campaign. The union is a key driving power for the continent’s political and financial growth.
Ms Haddadi mentioned the AU aligns with the marketing campaign’s aim of “reclaiming Africa’s rightful place on the global stage” amid rising requires reparations for colonialism and slavery.
The union will now transfer to advocate for wider map adoption and talk about collective actions with member states.
‘The world’s longest misinformation marketing campaign’
Moky Makura, an writer and government director of Africa No Filter, mentioned the Mercator projection is just “wrong”.
“It’s the world’s longest misinformation and disinformation campaign, and it just simply has to stop,” she mentioned.
Fara Ndiaye, co-founder of Converse Up Africa, added that the Mercator projection affected Africans’ identification and delight, particularly kids who would possibly encounter it early at school.
“We’re actively working on promoting a curriculum where the Equal Earth projection will be the main standard across all [African] classrooms,” she mentioned, including she hoped it will even be the one utilized by international establishments, together with Africa-based ones.
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A World Financial institution spokesperson mentioned they already use the Equal Earth for static maps and are phasing out Mercator on net maps.
Right The Map has despatched a request to the UN geospatial physique, which a UN spokesperson mentioned can be reviewed and authorized by a committee of consultants.
