African Union backs campaign to replace Mercator map that distorts Africa's size
I don't know how much impact this will have, but I'm happy to see more people advocate for Equal Earth. I like how it looks and I think the creators succeeded in making an equal-area projection that can appeal to general map users.
African Union backs campaign to replace Mercator map with Equal Earth
Re: African Union backs campaign to replace Mercator map with Equal Earth
Not surprisingly this has already become a topic of Wikipedia disputes. 
Back when I discussed the development of this projection with its author, he conceded that it was not any particular improvement over what’s available. He just wanted a strong contender against the Peters juggernaut. He assessed that what it needed was marketing. Hence his choice of name, public domain license, and immense amount of work making and excellent map available in both political and physiographic formats and a plethora of languages.
— daan
Back when I discussed the development of this projection with its author, he conceded that it was not any particular improvement over what’s available. He just wanted a strong contender against the Peters juggernaut. He assessed that what it needed was marketing. Hence his choice of name, public domain license, and immense amount of work making and excellent map available in both political and physiographic formats and a plethora of languages.
— daan
Re: African Union backs campaign to replace Mercator map with Equal Earth
Has the African Union actually been using the Mercator map?
Regardless of the merits of the projection they want to replace it with, I feel that this initiative just perpetuates the myth that the Mercator map is an evil imperialist invention with no valid uses, or that there is a single one-size-fits-all projection that everybody should use.
Equal Earth is a decent projection - definitely better than Gall-Peters, although only debatably better than Behrmann - but it's not perfect. Personally I dislike flat poles and especially ones with angular corners. It's not damning, of course, but then I also notice that when compared with the common Mollweide projection, Equal Earth actually has more severe distortion over Africa, while offering benefits mainly in Alaska and Northeast Asia. So, an interesting choice for the African Union to be backing.
As for marketing, that's actually another thing that I dislike about the Equal Earth projection. It's a kinda pretentious name for what's just one pseudocylindrical equal-area projection out of many, and not one with particularly meaningful theoretical basis. (I am allergic to marketing-speak in general and tend to react violently to anything that sounds like a buzzword.)
Regardless of the merits of the projection they want to replace it with, I feel that this initiative just perpetuates the myth that the Mercator map is an evil imperialist invention with no valid uses, or that there is a single one-size-fits-all projection that everybody should use.
Equal Earth is a decent projection - definitely better than Gall-Peters, although only debatably better than Behrmann - but it's not perfect. Personally I dislike flat poles and especially ones with angular corners. It's not damning, of course, but then I also notice that when compared with the common Mollweide projection, Equal Earth actually has more severe distortion over Africa, while offering benefits mainly in Alaska and Northeast Asia. So, an interesting choice for the African Union to be backing.
As for marketing, that's actually another thing that I dislike about the Equal Earth projection. It's a kinda pretentious name for what's just one pseudocylindrical equal-area projection out of many, and not one with particularly meaningful theoretical basis. (I am allergic to marketing-speak in general and tend to react violently to anything that sounds like a buzzword.)
Re: African Union backs campaign to replace Mercator map with Equal Earth
The marketing is a necessary evil. I’m also allergic to marketing, but if that’s what it takes to get people to understand that, no, Gall–Peters isn’t the only equal-area projection in existence, then so be it. Education instead certainly hasn’t helped.
The Mercator myth is sad, as well, but it’s especially hard to refute with Mercator maps on everyone’s cellphones. Do people really use it as a world map on their phone? Not much. But do people look at any other maps at all anymore? Not much. Good luck getting online map providers to change projections on phones, though. Scale-adaptive maps are on Mercator for good reasons. Until you zoom way out, the Mercator argument is baseless anyway.
— daan
The Mercator myth is sad, as well, but it’s especially hard to refute with Mercator maps on everyone’s cellphones. Do people really use it as a world map on their phone? Not much. But do people look at any other maps at all anymore? Not much. Good luck getting online map providers to change projections on phones, though. Scale-adaptive maps are on Mercator for good reasons. Until you zoom way out, the Mercator argument is baseless anyway.
— daan
Re: African Union backs campaign to replace Mercator map with Equal Earth
I was just about finally to post a mention of this, having seen it a few days ago.
The campaign to replace Mercator with an equal-area projection has been around for a long time, before the infamous Peters projection came along.
The Equal Earth projection is at least passable. I suppose it is felt that a campaign to replace the Mercator projection with an equal-area projection needs to provide a concrete alternative in order to be simple and comprehensible enough to have popular appeal.
Of course, my opinions on this subject have been expressed before.
As far as I'm aware, most schools have already switched from Mercator to an equal-area projection.
My personal favorite among equal-area projections is the Bonne or the Sinusoidal, as they also partially preserve correct shape.
And I think the Mercator has some virtues.
And when it comes to this most recent campaign, I'm afraid Africa will be regarded as unimportant even if people are aware of its true land area, because of its economic weakness, so engaging in this kind of campaign tends to provoke feelings of ridicule rather than recognition.
The campaign to replace Mercator with an equal-area projection has been around for a long time, before the infamous Peters projection came along.
The Equal Earth projection is at least passable. I suppose it is felt that a campaign to replace the Mercator projection with an equal-area projection needs to provide a concrete alternative in order to be simple and comprehensible enough to have popular appeal.
Of course, my opinions on this subject have been expressed before.
As far as I'm aware, most schools have already switched from Mercator to an equal-area projection.
My personal favorite among equal-area projections is the Bonne or the Sinusoidal, as they also partially preserve correct shape.
And I think the Mercator has some virtues.
And when it comes to this most recent campaign, I'm afraid Africa will be regarded as unimportant even if people are aware of its true land area, because of its economic weakness, so engaging in this kind of campaign tends to provoke feelings of ridicule rather than recognition.
Last edited by quadibloc on Sat Aug 30, 2025 8:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: African Union backs campaign to replace Mercator map with Equal Earth
Y'know... does anybody actually think that Greenland is a major superpower?
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mapnerd2022
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Re: African Union backs campaign to replace Mercator map with Equal Earth
África only looks small compared to the distorted Northern Hemisphere, because it is exaggerated(say, Alaska, Greenland, Russia, the Arctic Archipelago of Canada.. Canada itself... Great Britain...). And also because the Northern Hemisphere has more landmasses than the Southern.
Re: African Union backs campaign to replace Mercator map with Equal Earth
Really, I think that people have cause and effect backwards. If you're interested in foreign countries, then you're probably going to be looking at maps to understand where those countries are in relation to each other, and then you'll develop a sense for what makes a good map projection. If you don't already like looking at maps, then using a better projection isn't likely to change your mind. Forcing people to use a particular projection just makes them pretend to care, it doesn't make them actually care.
Re: African Union backs campaign to replace Mercator map with Equal Earth
Although you make a good point, I think you're kind of missing the concern that gives rise to this kind of campaign.Milo wrote: ↑Sat Aug 30, 2025 7:46 am Really, I think that people have cause and effect backwards. If you're interested in foreign countries, then you're probably going to be looking at maps to understand where those countries are in relation to each other, and then you'll develop a sense for what makes a good map projection. If you don't already like looking at maps, then using a better projection isn't likely to change your mind. Forcing people to use a particular projection just makes them pretend to care, it doesn't make them actually care.
Years ago - decades ago - elementary school classrooms often had a map of the world on the wall, and that map was invariably in the Mercator projection. I think the people involved in this kind of campaign are either imagining that this situation still applies - or, perhaps, it still is the case at least in the parts of the world with which they are familiar.
So it isn't a question of a misguided concern that can be addressed by noting that there are different kinds of people, and those who care will look further. Because what is being assumed is an omnipresent influence that is all around people whichever way they turn that affects how they subconsciously, naturally, without thinking of it, view the different countries of the world. Even if they have also had a chance to look at a globe occasionally too. And, also, people who don't care still vote and influence foreign policy and trade policy towards Africa, and so it's not at all absurd to be concerned about the reflexes established in these people.