The Mercator map, first created in the 16th century, has long been the standard map used for navigation and education, but it stretches land masses farther from the equator. For example, Greenland ...

African advocacy groups launched a campaign to replace the Mercator map with the Equal Earth projection. The African Union endorsed the effort, saying the distorted map minimizes Africa’s global ...

CC0 Usage Conditions ApplyClick for more information. The Historic Maps of Africa collection includes 78 maps and dates from circa 1631 to 1973. Geographic content of individual maps varies from ...

In 1569, Flemish mapmaker Gerardus Mercator synthesized existing ideas in navigation and cartography to create a new type of world map. It has stood the test of time: Billions of people would ...

African nations are demanding that the 'distorted' world map be redrawn to show the true scale of the continent that they argue has been misrepresented for centuries. The African Union (AU) has backed ...

The African Union is championing a drive to replace the 16th-century Mercator world map, arguing its widespread use by governments and international bodies inaccurately depicts Africa's true scale.

On a typical world map, Canada is a vast nation. Home to six time zones, its endless plains spread from ocean to ocean, dominating great swathes of the northern half of the globe. But, in reality, ...

For generations, schools, media outlets and decision-makers have relied on a familiar world map. It has become a global standard, seen everywhere from classroom posters to government buildings. But ...

Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: The African Union has started an effort to oust the Mercator projection map and replace it with what it says is a more accurately drawn map. The 16 ...

The Mercator world map, long a fixture in classrooms globally, makes the European Union appear almost as large as Africa. In reality, Africa is more than seven times bigger. It is a distortion that ...