When the African Union recently called for global adoption of the Equal Earth map projection, one that accurately reflects Africa’s true size, it wasn’t just a cartographic debate. It was a powerful statement about how Africa sees itself and how the world sees it.
This shift from the distortive Mercator map unfolds in tandem with the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and it has real implications for Africa’s identity, confidence, and unity.
Distorted Maps, Distorted Perceptions
The Mercator projection, developed in the 16th century for navigation, makes Greenland and Northern countries appear much larger while shrinking equatorial nations like Africa. This small-but-powerful distortion reinforces the idea that Africa is marginal on the global stage, regardless of the continent’s vast size and economic potential.
Visual Identity Meets Economic Identity
AfCFTA is about connecting African economies, tearing down invisible barriers, and building continental pride through trade. But how can a policy of unity succeed when the world’s imagery diminishes the very subject of that unity?
By restoring Africa's rightful scale with the Equal Earth projection, Africa is visually asserting its importance, making its presence felt not only through treaties and trade agreements but also by sheer representation. It’s a visual declaration: Africa matters.
Education and Policy: Shaping Minds, Shaping Markets
Maps influence curriculum, media coverage, and policymaking. If students grow up seeing Africa as tiny, their mental models, and by extension, expectations are skewed. This has long-term consequences for how African markets and opportunities are perceived both internally and globally.
Advocacy groups like Speak Up Africa, in partnership with the AU, are pushing Equal Earth into schools across the continent. Campaigners highlight how early exposure to accurate visuals can boost identity and confidence among the next generation of African entrepreneurs.
AfCFTA and the Power of Accurate Representation
A map that does justice to Africa’s scale amplifies the message of AfCFTA in the following ways:
- Confidence: When Africa is shown large, it visually reinforces narratives of economic strength and unity core to AfCFTA’s ethos of intra-African trade.
- Visibility: Accurate representation places Africa front and center in educational and international discourse, helping attract investment, partnerships, and respectful engagement.
- Unity: A continent that sees itself properly reflected is better poised to embrace continental policies like AfCFTA, building solidarity through shared perception.
In Essence: Bigger Map, Bigger Market
AfCFTA opens doors for African trade, reducing tariffs, expanding markets, and unlocking growth for farmers, manufacturers, and start-ups. The Equal Earth projection opens hearts and minds, correcting centuries-old distortions and reinforcing a unified, robust continental identity.
Together, they form a powerful duo: maps that reflect reality and policies that elevate it.
