For decades, the standard Mercator projection has quietly shaped how generations view the world. Originally designed for 16th-century nautical navigation, the projection significantly inflates landmasses near the poles while shrinking regions near the equator. As a result, Africa—a continent spanning over 30 million square kilometers—is often visually reduced to the size of Greenland, a landmass nearly fourteen times smaller.
While cartographers and geographers have long acknowledged this distortion, moving from criticism to institutional change remained a major hurdle. Recently, a concerted international initiative—the Correct the Map campaign—succeeded in converting cartographic debate into global policy.
Here is how a modest proposal turned into a resolution backed by 164 nations.
Identifying the Problem and the Alternative
The initiative began with a clear premise: geographic representation influences perception, education, and political weight. Despite widespread awareness of the Mercator projection’s distortions, practical alternatives were rarely adopted at scale.
To find a scalable solution, campaign organisers convened cartographic experts, technical partners, and international representatives, including members of the African Union (AU). Working alongside GIS software company Esri, the campaign identified the Equal Earth projection—created in 2018 by Bojan Šavrič, Tom Patterson, and Bernhard Jenny—as the target format. Equal Earth maintains accurate relative land areas while preserving an aesthetically familiar shape for continents, making it suitable for educational and general use.
Building Institutional Backing
Translating a visual campaign into international policy required institutional leverage. Early strategic guidance came from Carlos Lopes, former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, who helped navigate international diplomatic channels.
Through these network connections, the campaign engaged H.E. Amb. Selma Malika Haddadi, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission. Ambassador Haddadi’s public endorsement brought significant international media coverage, with major outlets including Reuters picking up the story and elevating the campaign’s global profile.
Moving from Advocacy to Policy
Public visibility alone does not alter official curricula or governmental standards. The critical transition occurred when the campaign moved toward securing a formal diplomatic resolution through the African Union.
The policy push was championed by Togo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Robert Dussey. Serving as the primary political advocate, Prof. Dussey coordinated diplomatic support across AU member states, leading to the adoption of a unified continental resolution backing the Equal Earth projection.
Following the AU agreement, the proposal was introduced to broader international forums. In a multilateral vote, 164 countries voted in favour of adopting and recognising equal-area projections for educational and official uses.
From Resolution to Implementation
With formal international backing established, the campaign’s focus has shifted from policy adoption to implementation.
A diplomatic resolution does not automatically replace physical wall maps or update digital curricula. The next phase relies on individual member states—particularly across Africa—to update national educational frameworks, publish updated textbooks, and ensure that classrooms adopt accurate equal-area projections.
While global policy agreements provide the necessary framework, the long-term impact of the Correct the Map campaign will ultimately depend on local execution in schools and public institutions worldwide.
