This African Nation Says Its Time For World Map To Reflect The Continent’s True Size

The initiative seeks to move international organizations, governments and educational institutions away from the 16th-century Mercator projection.

The government of Togo has formally petitioned the United Nations to adopt a world map that accurately reflects Africa’s true land area.

Togo officials argue that the widely used projections are geographically misleading and downplay the continent’s global significance. Togo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Robert Dussey, confirmed that the resolution will soon be ready for a vote at the UN General Assembly in September 2026, Africa News reported. The initiative seeks to move international organizations, governments, and educational institutions away from the 16th-century Mercator projection in favor of alternatives such as the Equal Earth projection.

Foreign Minister Dussey stated that the current visual representation of the globe is a matter of scientific inaccuracy rather than preference. He noted that the size seen on most maps is geographically false and that the time has come for the international community to embrace scientific truth. The move is part of a broader “Correct the Map” campaign.

This is the true size of Africa pic.twitter.com/UC2xee22R2
— Science girl (@sciencegirl) April 14, 2026

Proponents of the change argue that map distortions are not merely academic errors but carry profound psychological and political consequences. Moky Makura, executive director of Africa No Filter, described the persistence of the Mercator map as a long-standing misinformation campaign that has marginalized Africa’s identity and influenced global perceptions in media, policy, and education.

“Accurate representation is not just about maps — it is about agency, progress, and ensuring the world sees Africa as it truly is,” Makura told Reuters.

The African Union’s 55 member states adopted a resolution to stop using the Mercator projection within their own borders, Macao News reported. The AU has tasked Togo with leading the diplomatic effort to elevate this policy to a global standard. While the United Nations currently uses various projections, including the Robinson projection, it does not mandate a specific world map for its member states.

The Mercator projection, created in 1569 for nautical navigation, preserves the shapes of countries but significantly distorts their relative sizes. Because the map enlarges landmasses farther from the equator, regions like Greenland and North America appear disproportionately large, while the African continent appears visually shrunken. In reality, Africa covers approximately 30 million square kilometers and is 14 times the size of Greenland, yet the two often appear similar in size on standard maps.

The upcoming September vote is being framed by African diplomats as a test of global commitment to equity and decolonization. Dussey suggested that the international response to the proposal will reveal the true intentions of world powers regarding African representation.