The Biggest Lie in Geography Is About Africa—And It’s Time to Correct It

Dakar, Senegal — 7 April 2025: For centuries, the world has been misled about Africa’s true size. The Mercator map—one of the most widely used world maps—has shrunk the continent, distorting its scale and minimising its global significance.

Africa covers 30.37 million square kilometres—large enough to fit the United States, China, India, and most of Europe combined. Yet, in classrooms, newsrooms, publications, and boardrooms worldwide, the Mercator projection presents Africa as much smaller than it really is. Designed for 16th-century maritime navigation, the map artificially enlarges the Global North regions while drastically reducing the perceived size of continents like Africa. The result? A distorted world view that downplays Africa’s economic, cultural, and political importance.

Now, Africa No Filter and Speak Up Africa are launching the Correct the Map campaign to put an end to this enduring falsehood. The Correct the Map campaign is calling on international organisations—including the UN, World Bank, and BBC—to switch to the Equal Earth map projection, a fairer and more accurate representation of global geography.

Through a global petition and campaign charter, the initiative invites institutions, educators, and media platforms to pledge their commitment to using maps that depict Africa’s true size.

“Geography has history. Africa’s misrepresentation on world maps is not just a cartographic error—it’s a narrative issue,” says Moky Makura, Executive Director of Africa No Filter. “By reducing the size of Africa, we are subconsciously downplaying its importance. It’s time we took a stand.”

Yacine Djibo, Founder and Executive Director of Speak Up Africa, adds: “Decisions about Africa—economic, political, and developmental—are being made using a false reference point. We need the world to see Africa as it truly is.”

The world cannot afford to keep making decisions based on a 400-year-old distortion. It’s time to fix the map and reframe the narrative.

Sign the petition to correct the Map here: https://www.change.org/CorrectTheMap
Follow the campaign online: www.correctthemap.org

Media contacts:

1. Africa No Filter
   Lerato Mogoatlhe
   Lerato@africanofilter.org; +2783 553 4623
2. Speak Up Africa
   Fara Ndiaye
   fara.ndiaye@speakupafrica.org; +221 77 332 88 63‬‬

About Africa No Filter: Africa No Filter is an advocacy organisation shifting stereotypical narratives about Africa through storytelling that reflects a dynamic continent of progress, innovation and opportunity. To learn more about Africa No Filter, visit www.africanofilter.org and follow @Africanofilter on social media.

About Speak Up Africa: Speak Up Africa is a policy and advocacy Action Tank. Through their platforms and relationships and with the help of their partners, they ensure that policy makers meet implementers, that solutions are showcased and that every sector – from individual citizens and civil society groups to global donors and business leaders – contributes critically to the dialogue and strives to form the blueprints for concrete action for public health and sustainable development.