#mercator-projection

#mercator-projection

The Mercator projection, devised in the 16th century to help European sailors navigate their way to conquest and commerce, has quietly shaped how we see the world for centuries. By stretching the higher latitudes and squeezing the equatorial belt, the Mercator projection distorts the relative size of continents. Europe and North America loom vast, while Africa and South America shrink.

For us, correcting the map also means correcting the global narrative about Africa, says Fara Ndiaye, co-founder and deputy executive director of Speak Up Africa, one of the organizations behind Correct the Map. The African Union (AU) has just endorsed this initiative, which seeks to force governments, international organizations, and educational organizations to stop using the Mercator world map in favor of one that more accurately shows the size of Africa, which is minimized in the classic projection.