Africa wants to overhaul the world map. Here’s why

4 Sep 2026 • 5:03 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Africa wants to overhaul the world map. Here’s why

  • The UN General Assembly is set to vote on an African Union-backed resolution urging the world to move away from the traditional Mercator map projection.
  • Led by Togo, the campaign advocates adopting equal-area designs such as the 2018 Equal Earth map to accurately reflect the true scale of continents.
  • The Mercator projection distorts landmasses away from the equator, incorrectly depicting Africa as similar in size to Greenland, despite being 14 times larger.
  • Togo foreign minister Robert Dussey argued that maps shape global perceptions and asked that Africa's geographic reality and contribution be duly recognised.
  • If the resolution passes, Togo will host an implementation event in Lomé with Unesco, the African Union, and technology companies including Google Maps.

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