Things that make you go: hmmmm? Why do world governments continue to use an inaccurate world map?

We are all familiar with the world map, right? The most widely used world map was created by Gerardus Mercator, a 16th-century Flemish (mapmaker) in 1569! Mercator created the map to help sailors navigate the world using the longitude and latitude lines (Gerardus Mercator-National Geographic, Encyclopedia entry).

Of the research I found, he made certain countries or continents smaller and larger to make the map work for the purposes mentioned above. It's not believed he did this for any other reason. In other words, he held no ill will towards Africa when creating this map. But he had to be aware that the map was incorrect.

I can't be sure about other countries, but I know American children are being taught from the Mercator map without the correct context, although the Boston, MA school district has made the move to phase out the Mercator map and replacing it with the more accurate Peters-Gall Projection. Per Colin Rose, assistant superintendent of opportunity and achievement gaps for Boston public schools, “This is the start of a three-year effort to decolonize the curriculum in our public schools.” (Joanna Walters, The Guardian, March 23, 2017)

The map has been widely disputed for many years, as wildly inaccurate. (Sophie Morlin-Yron, for CNN; March 23, 2017) However, that has not stopped many of the world governments from using the map, because it benefits their narrative of world power and domination.

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How does Africa, being viewed as less than its actual size, affect the continent?

Africa (as a whole) is not taken seriously around the world, not financially, politically, or socially. You would think that because Africa is the second largest continent in the world, it would play more of a role in the world market. I mean it does, but only as the continent smaller countries pilfer from to shore up their own economies.

The use of the Mercator world map allows for, as I stated above, smaller European and Western Countries to act without impunity in their dealings with Africa. The distortion allows for the countries to spin the narrative that they are more powerful because of their larger stature, but it is all just smoke and mirrors.

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Because we are not a monolith, we do not all agree...

Now, there are some who don’t believe the use of the Mercator map plays any part in how Africa is viewed or treated by other nations. Aljazeera-America, in their article “Every Map you’ve seen of Africa is right, published online, June 21, 2015; by Nick Danforth,” asks the question, “Is the Mercator projection (map) to blame for bad public policy and geographical ignorance?”

My answer is of course not. However, not everyone is going to take time to deep dive into this subject either. Furthermore, allowing the Mercator map to continue as the most used map when already proven wrong, does nothing to set the mistakes of the past right.

The author of the article, Danforth, points out that maps (in general) can influence our view of the world, but transversely, our view of the world can influence how we view maps. His belief is that if we hold prejudices against Africa, those prejudices will remain and skew our view of the map. However, if we have a favorable view of Africa, then the small scale of Africa would not influence you.

I disagree here. I understand what he is saying in theory, however, we know what propaganda is. We know that imperialist countries would and have used this distortion to weaponize their standing in the world market. What makes America and Europe the "superpowers?" Weaponization of misinformation.

The author also points out that with all arguments the critics of the Mercator map have made, colonization was not among them. (Every Map you’ve seen of Africa is right, published online, June 21, 2015; by Nick Danforth). I’ll go further to say that racism, political, and social greed wasn’t on the list of arguments made against the use of the Mercator map either, or at least none I could find.

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Why do such things happen to Africa?

The difficult answer is the lack of unity within the continent and within the African Diaspora. I understand that Africa as a continent is not a monolith, but because of the lack of unity, it has been an easy target for other countries, smaller countries, to come in and colonize the whole of Africa. We all know the history! How could America, Great Britain, Portugal, France, and Spain come in at various times to steal, kill, and destroy a whole continent? Lack of unity!

It is time for us to stand together and demand the changes we want to see. I am of the mind of the author of the Aljazeera article, the map is but a small thing. However, there are so many small things that have come against Africa over the last four hundred years that it’s time to say enough is enough!

Lastly, there is also an even more current map of Africa developed by Kai Krause in 2010 which shows the true size of Africa (above). Kai Krause is a software pioneer with a doctorate in philosophy and a master’s in image processing (Africa check).

To sum it up and to put a period on it, the Krause map shows the actual sizes of countries that are held to higher esteem than the whole continent of Africa. Krause said in an article he published, that he sent the final draft to a few friends, one of which posted to twitter, tagging Krause. He said by the next day he had tens of thousands of irate messages!

Sometimes the truth hurts people! Get ready, you’re going to be hurting for a long time. There are those of us who will no longer stand by and allow the truth of Africa to be diminished or hidden. We will tell of Africa and her Glory! We in here and y’all gone know it! If I have anything to do with it!

If you’re still with me… Thanks! And God bless!