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Why African campaign groups want the traditional world map scrapped
The African Union (AU) has backed a campaign to end the use of a 16th-century map in favour of one that more accurately displays Africa's size.
The Mercator projection of the world distorts the sizes of some continents, enlarging areas near the poles like North America and Greenland while shrinking Africa and South America. This is the map currently used by many governments and international organisations, as well as schools and tech companies.
Google Maps switched from using Mercator on desktops to a 3D globe view in 2018, though users can still switch back to Mercator if they prefer. On the mobile app, Mercator remains the default.
"It might seem to be just a map, but in reality, it is not," AU commission deputy chairperson Selma Malika Haddadi told the Reuters news agency. She said the Mercator projection fostered a false impression that Africa was "marginal.
Amir Nisi
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