The United Nations has recently advocated for a shift towards a more accurate global map that better portrays the actual dimensions of continents like Africa. This initiative, termed the “Correct the Map” resolution by the UN General Assembly, seeks to address the inaccuracies presented by the Mercator map, which misleadingly depicts Africa as comparable in size to Greenland, despite being approximately 14 times larger. In response, the UN has adopted the Equal Earth projection, a map that offers a more truthful representation of landmass sizes, though it is not without its own challenges.
Understanding the Mercator Map
The Mercator map, a familiar sight in classrooms and on digital platforms like Google Maps, was introduced in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator, a Flemish cartographer. Its primary function was to aid European sailors in ocean navigation, as explained by cartography expert Professor James Cheshire from University College London. Mercator’s design ensured that a straight line on the map mirrored a straight line in reality when following a compass bearing, which was revolutionary for navigation at the time.
However, to maintain accurate angles on a flat surface, Mercator stretched the grid lines as they approached the poles, resulting in distortions where countries near the equator appear smaller and those closer to the poles seem larger. This distortion arises from the challenge of representing a spherical surface on a two-dimensional plane. Critics argue that this can lead to a skewed perception of the importance of regions, as larger areas are often perceived as more significant. Kenyan geographer Kioko Muendo highlights how this has historically minimized Africa’s perceived resources and opportunities.
The Equal Earth Map and Its Impact
Addressing the limitations of the Mercator projection, the Equal Earth map was created in 2018 by a group of cartographers. This map draws inspiration from the 1963 Robinson projection and aims to depict landmass size and shape more accurately. Adopted by the African Union and later by the UN, the Equal Earth map offers a more balanced view of the world.
However, it sacrifices some navigational features, such as straight-line distance measurement, which were strengths of the Mercator projection. As Professor Cheshire notes, it’s impossible to perfectly preserve area, shape, distance, and direction simultaneously on a flat map.
Alternative Projections and Their Limitations
Another notable map is the Peters projection, conceived by German historian Arno Peters in the 1970s. This map emphasizes scale accuracy over shape accuracy, correcting the size discrepancy between Greenland and Africa. However, it distorts the shapes of landmasses, making them appear oddly proportioned, and is unsuitable for navigation due to its non-representative straight lines.
Some cartographers have experimented with map orientations that position the south at the top or center different continents, attempting to counter biases related to perceived importance. However, these adjustments merely shift the focus without addressing underlying prominence issues.
Polar-Centric Maps
A unique approach is the polar-oriented map, such as the one used in the UN logo. This projection centers the map around the North Pole, with continents spreading outward. Known as the “Azimuthal equidistant projection,” it ensures that all points are correctly aligned horizontally from the center. Nonetheless, this method introduces distortions as the distance from the center increases, particularly affecting regions near the South Pole.
